I am perplexed about the recent letters from UKIP that appear to have no understanding about electoral law and of how to call a by-election.

The Labour Party has been slated for our inability to do just that and apparently "we" were then slated for initiating such a move.

UKIP is supposed to be a credible opposition to other main stream parties. However, there is clearly no concept about the fundamentals of electoral law.

In explanation, any two electors in a ward can trigger an election and two Labour supporters have now done this. However if UKIP members had wanted to call an election they too could have done the exact same thing instead of prevaricating in the local press.

Labour lost a dear colleague when Helen Stewart died after serving her community for many years and we felt it was appropriate to have a time of mourning.

We were also sensitive to the fact that due to the district council staff being cut to the bone and the pressure the Police and Crime Commissioner election had on them it would be inappropriate to trigger an election over the Christmas break –hence it being triggered now.

I just hope that the good people of Berry Hill take note and put the ravings of the UKIP scribes into the bin where they belong.

– Di Martin, Leader, Forest of Dean Council Labour Group.