VIRTUALLY every week nowadays, I see letters in these columns from previously unknown council officers, with remarkably obscure titles, replying to previously published letters from your readers.

We had one from Alex Urka (Advertiser, August 23), who described himself as the "Research and Policy Officer", whatever that means.

I say that advisedly, having served for some years in the days when the chief executive was that exactly, the chief planning officer looked after planning matters, the treasurer took care of the money, the housing manager controlled the housing stock and so on; everyone knew who was who and what their responsibilities were.

Councillors were expected to defend, or explain, their policies in the local press and not to employ, at public expense, a coterie of faceless officials, with impressive titles, to do it for them.

I will not take up space by describing in detail those points in Mr Urka's letter, which were misleading, other than to say his claim the council took notice of residents' objections over the development of Headless Cross Green was quite wrong. Indeed, the opposite was the case.

It was, in fact, the proposed developer that withdrew, not the council.

The then chairman of planning, Councillor Gail Strong, lost her seat in the following election.

All things considered, I felt, "Amen to that" and, from the point of view of non-political townspeople, good riddance to all such.

Maurice Clarke

Mason Close

Headless Cross