I WAS prepared to respect the call by Chris Jaeger that the time had come to stop the mud-slinging over the events at the Swan Theatre and that instead we should all look forward to the Swan's re-opening next week and not backwards.

However, the letter from Gerald Harris (You Say, April 19) written in such vitriolic and combative style re-ignites the debate as he and his acolytes cannot yet reconcile themselves to the fact that while they are now history, the Swan Theatre will continue under its new management stronger than ever before.

I am named along with my colleagues as being responsible for a list of failings, but if it was not blindingly obvious before, let us now be quite clear that under the old Gerald Harris regime, the Swan Theatre was unsustainable.

Looking at the figures now reveals just what a serious predicament the Swan was in and how fundamentally flawed was their thinking never to contemplate a fall-back position but instead simply to expect - yes, demand as of right - that one cheque from the council would follow another with no questions asked.

Let us also be clear that under the old regime, despite a lot of fine words being talked about home-produced theatre (which was largely the cause of the financial troubles) by the chattering classes, Worcestershire people were giving those productions the thumbs-down.

Audiences had fallen to such an extent that on some nights it was an embarrassment.

Instead, the future is incredibly bright. Thanks to Chris Jaeger and his team we have the prospect of the amateurs putting on more shows than before; we will have youth theatre; we will have professional touring theatre.

We will in addition have some comedy and may have scope to show specialist films. We will have productions that people want to see.

Perhaps, most importantly, the volunteers will be welcomed back with open arms as opposed to being grudgingly tolerated.

I am pleased to have facilitated this transformation but it will be Chris Jaeger and Huntingdon Arts who will have the difficult job in the future. Let us all pledge as individuals that we will lend our support by going along and swelling the audience as often as we can.

That will ensure Worcester's Swan Theatre survives. That will ensure that Gerald Harris and his ilk are consigned to history and everyone else moves forward to the brighter future that I am convinced awaits the Swan.

COUNCILLOR STEPHEN INMAN,

Leader of Worcester City Council.