AFTER reading the front page of Friday's Evening News (May 2) covering the election results, I could not help feeling concern over the removal of the whip from Councillor Mohammed Altaf.

I quote from your article: "But the number of seats it holds remains at 18 after it withdrew the Conservative whip from All Saints councillor Mohammed Altaf, who is facing a charge of attempting the course of justice."

Before I resigned from the Worcestershire Conservative group, it was always made very clear that the Conservative councillors never had a "Whip". It was something that only happened inside the Labour Group.

I can recall many a meeting when all Labour councillors would vote the same way. You would then hear cries from the Conservative group heckling over the table saying: "Oh yes, the Whip has been put on."

So clearly, the Conservative group now has a Whip, which then leads us to believe that there is a practice of group voting, which in turn fails democracy!

I cannot think why the leader on the council (a well-respected solicitor in real life) has supported removing the Whip from Coun Altaf, because our judicial system states a person is innocent until proven guilty.

So why remove the Whip and group support from an innocent group member?

COUN G P KIBBLEWHITE,

Independent Conservative (Bedwardine), Worcester.