Sir - In the 1970’s,clearing an elderly neighbour’s blocked drain,I contracted a slipped disc,which resulted in me being off work for six months.

Like the Hereford & Worcester chief fire officer,I found that even sitting at a desk was too painful,and in those days medical knowledge was so limited that under The National Health my treatment was almost total bedrest.

It follows that with a salary of £122,000, the fire authority,s decision to pay £3,000 towards the bill of £5,000 for Mr.Yates was money well spent, as it would have cost much more to give other staff extra cash to take on more duties,had he been off for 12 weeks.

The fact that Mr.Yates was in a position to go for private treatment,also enhances the case where “jumping the queue” can be beneficial to other National Health patients whose waiting list gets shortened slightly.

Blob: I remarked recently that public expenditure gets flippantly talked about in £millions.

So what is a mere £3,000 for the Hereford & Worcester chief officer’s back operation,that we rate payers have had to pay for? and not even minuted it seems in the fire authority’s records?

Where will it appear in the income and expenditure account? Miscellaneous expenditure?

If so why is there a need for auditors?

Phil Pegler

Worcester