IT is interesting to note the lesser guns of the Bromsgrove Labour Party are now being brought into the fray to attack my criticisms of their administration regarding the handling of Bromsgrove District Council's reserves.

My comments obviously struck a sensitive chord. I never actually said the reserves were reduced to £2.3m. I said the reserves were raided by £2.3m during Labour's four years in office.

The details are that in 1995/96 the balances were raided by £926,000, followed by a raiding the next year of £760,000.

Two further raids on the reserves followed in 1997/98 by £306,000, and in their final year in office in 1998/99 the reserves were further reduced by £341,000.

This money paid for schemes which were clearly unaffordable, for purely electoral purposes, although it did them no good.

We now have to put matters right by rebuilding the reserves - one of the auditor's criticisms - to a healthier level, a task that can only be achieved over a number of years.

I expect most people are tired of these arguments by now.

Cllr Nick Psirides,

Leader,

Bromsgrove District Council.