I READ Ken Allcock's letter (Your Letters, February 10) with considerable interest and concur with everything he had to say. I would, however, take things a step further as I feel that Worcestershire County Council is financially out of control.

If one looks at its own statement of accounts for the last three years, one will see that the number of people employed by the council at salaries of £50,000 per annum plus has increased from 31 in 2003 to 81 now, plus of course our ex-police inspector at a salary of £70,000. All this, of course, at our expense!

Where did the council find offices for all these extra people and pray what do they do? I find that it is incredible that other areas with far larger populations can manage with far less executives.

I have spoken to one of our county councillors about this latest appointment, he has informed me councillors were not consulted on this appointment.

Can the county executives make these decisions off their own bat? Especially when they have been telling everyone that the county has a black hole in its finances.

I see that the county council are again this last week advertising in the Malvern Gazette for even more staff. What are all these people going to do? When are they going to consider the pensioners who are the ones who can least afford the hiked up rates to pay for all these jobsworths.

Think again Worcestershire County Council, enough's enough. The trough's running dry!

MIKE CHARLES, Somers Park Avenue, Malvern.