I READ with alarm the fact that Asons solicitors had "ceased trading" and all employees were being transferred to Coops Law.

I wonder what position the previous managing director/chief executive of Asons will hold at Coops Law? It is certainly no secret that £300,000 of council taxpayers' money was given to Asons to undertake re-furbishments of the old Bolton News offices AFTER the said re-furbishments had already been done. Now, within months, we hear that Asons has "ceased trading". It may be fair to assume that this new development will make it very difficult for Bolton Council to get back any of the £300,000 from Asons.

Yet on the same page of the Bolton News we read that a "vital care centre in Farnworth is to be axed" as Bolton Council attempts to make £200,000 in savings.

The decision to donate £300,000 to Asons was taken under "emergency powers", which meant that no debate could take place. Where was the emergency? The re-furbishments had already taken place. No use of "emergency powers" to keep the vital services providing respite day care to severely disabled adults in Farnworth then.

I despair at some of the thinking within the senior Labour leaders in Bolton Council.

Sharron Howard

Buckley Lane

Farnworth

Bolton