I AM surprised to read that the leader of the Forest of Dean Council has wasted a second stamp on another letter to the interim chief executive of the Co-op Group (TCG), Richard Pennycook.

The Midcounties Co-operative is independent of TCG and keeps saying so.

It's like asking the captain of the Titanic, an hour after hitting the iceberg, to have a quiet word soon with your brother-in-law in Bootle; he's being stubborn in a dispute with his neighbours.

Unlike the Titanic, the Co-op Group may sail on for many years – but right now, the whole crew on board must focus on the tough problems they face.  What Midcounties do in the Forest of Dean isn't one of them.

– Neil Forrest, Mitcheldean