MICHAEL Foster, clearly rattled by Mary Dhonau's candidature, has now turned his fire on the Liberal Democrats.

First, he criticises the Lib Dems' support for the "Barred From Voting" campaign organised by the Prison Reform Trust and the Unlock charity, which seeks to allow prisoners to vote.

Unfortunately for Mr Foster, last year, 20 of his fellow Labour MPs signed an Early Day Motion calling for the same thing. The campaign is also supported by the Bishop of Worcester, the Rt Rev Peter Selby, who is quoted in the campaign's Press release as saying that "Denying convicted prisoners the right to vote serves no purpose of deterrence or reform."

Second, he claims that the Lib Dems would allow 16-year- olds to buy alcohol. In fact, this is not party policy. It is true that the Lib Dems believe that 16 should become the common age at which young people attain civic rights and responsibilities, ending the "twilight zone" that 16 and 17-years-olds currently inhabit.

However, the possible application of this principle to the purchase of alcohol has never been debated at conference, and therefore no such proposal will appear in our manifesto.

PAUL H GRIFFITHS,

Chairman, Worcester Liberal Democrats.