IT was with disgust I read the headline in the Bolton Evening News "Council Tax up by 8.5 per cent".

How can Bolton Council warrant such an increase without first learning the art of good housekeeping?

It's all very well to make this excusable by saying they need this to help fund public services. What public services? Some of our streets are in a dangerous state of repair, our local police stations are fast disappearing, crime is at a very high level.

It is a well known fact that thousands of pounds are outstanding in unpaid council house rents, that council members have unlimited free car parking, which if they were treated as us mere mortals would bring in a substantial revenue. And why should it be necessary to replace the Mayoral car?

By all accounts quite a lot of our councillors could make good use of their bus passes.

On top of the council tax rises, we now are confronted with increased car parking charges.

It seems to me my rise of £1.18 in my retirement pension will need to be attached to a piece of elastic -- it will be the only way I shall be able to make it stretch.

My support of Labour, up to now, has been lifelong, but changes are on the way.

Unhappy Westhoughtoner

(Name and address supplied)