I WAS very pleased to see Mr Brian Pearman's letter in the Review (August 5, 2011) in which he supports my concern with regard to the terrible "financial mis-management regarding the previous town clerk situation."

Obviously Mr Pearman is totally unaware of my involvement and contact with past and present council members, on both the town and district councils, but this is to be expected as he has not asked me, and presumably not asked particular councillors. Please be assured, Mr Pearman, what I say in my letters is just a tip of the iceberg when it comes to expressing my concerns with regard to taxpayers' money, and other matters, directly to councillors, mayors, and council leaders.

If you ask Dr Daphne Pearson, who writes regularly in the Review, you will find that attending council meetings can be very boring, and not very fruitful.

Let me give you an example. I quote from the annual town meeting minutes held in the Town Hall on April 19, 2011.

The Mayor's Annual Report second paragraph states: "2010/2011 has been a very difficult year for this council. The unfortunate departure of the former town clerk on ill-health grounds has resulted in Council being legally obligated to honour the Local Government Pension Scheme deficit. Council remain mindful of the affect that this has had on the precept. Whilst previously not available, Lydney Town Council have since been able to enrol in a new insurance scheme which will safeguard against such an occurrence in the future".

Now, Mr Pearson, if that statement satisfies your incensed mind, so be it, but cats cover up their mess in my garden with the same level of endeavour. I can easily see where the cats have been, and quite frankly, it is, in my view, very obvious who created this terrible mess bringing about the virtual bankruptcy of this town.

However, though I can, and have, voiced my full opinions directly to councillors, I cannot say more in this letter because the editor has refused to print letters from me on this subject. Even my last letter you referred to was abbreviated by the editor, and I am saying this at the risk of not having this letter published.

No councillors have come clean on this mess in public, apart from Alan Preest who has been published in the Review voicing his concerns. To me there is no doubt that mis-management has taken place, but no-one will stand up and be counted, or accept accountability. Supposedly an investigation is underway, but the public has no details on this, I certainly don't know if such is taking place.

Perhaps you can contact your nice councillors for more details on this and let us all in on the secret. Meanwhile all taxpayers will continue to keep paying.

– Ralph Perry, Lydney.

•The Editor retains the right to edit letters with due regard to legal matters. The Review's policy is, and always has been, to be as open and fair as possible. We would certainly never avoid controversy, but we must guard against publishing material stated as "fact" which we cannot prove or disprove.