Thanks to those who voted

9:59am Tuesday 6th May 2008

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It is normally good practice to not get drawn by letters from political opponents written during the rush of an election.

I feel I must respond to a particularly ill informed letter from my Labour opponent in the recent local elections, Christopher Peacock (A local politician should be there for constituents', April 26).

In fact, the lady who wrote to your paper did raise the matter of the lack of dropped kerbs on Church Road with me, and I have taken it up with the council (before either her letter or the Labour candidate's letter appeared).

Both this lady and another disabled gentleman who raised similar issues on Johnson Fold will be visited by council officers to assess their particular needs, and I have provisionally arranged site visits to assess what can be done to help. The extra £million the Liberal Democrats got added to the highways budget this year might be some help here!

If the fact that a member of the public writes to your newspaper about a local problem meant that their local councillors were somehow not doing their jobs (as he hints) he should point the accusing finger at every councillor (including all those in his own party). Plainly that is rubbish; members of the public will continue to write letters, and the vast majority of councillors, of all parties, will continue to do their job.

Can I take this opportunity to thank all those in Smithills who took the trouble to vote last Thursday, whether they voted for me or for one of my four opponents.

Roger G C Hayes Councillor Smithills Ward