WHILE shopping in Lydney last Friday I noticed a newspaper giving notice of a public meeting (7pm that night) to be held at Main Place, Coleford, attended by Mark Harper MP.

I?could not rush to get there early and when I arrived at 7pm I found a large crowd outside who had also failed to get admittance.

These were of all ages, but very interested to learn more details of the proposals only released on Tuesday.

On a wet very windy evening for possibly 300 people to stand outside, while only about 80 were inside Main Place hall, shows a grossly inadequate venue for a meeting which has attracted so much local and national feeling.

A police officer told me that the last person entered at about 6.30pm. Also, in view of the large crowd, no public address was installed as at Speech House rally, so no-one outside could listen to the various points of view and eventually went home in ignorance.

This is disgraceful and a slap in the face of the public who were so concerned to attend.

If further consultation is to take place, then surely adequate premises to hold a large crowd and also a public address system is required.

– A concerned Forester, Vic