SIR – We all know we are in for very hard times.

The company I work for has made many people redundant. The national company my wife works for has cut work hours and has also made redundancies. Many businesses are cutting prices to keep trading. We now need the local councils, our public servants, to realise that they too must offer practical help by cutting our council tax.

Next year we need a 10 per cent cut in tax. This can be achieved by eliminating every nonessential function and concentrating on keeping only basic services such as roads and schools. There are many projects which are no-doubt worthy and desirable but they must go simply because we (the people and businesses of the county) cannot afford to pay for them.

To make the statement that council jobs will not be affected by the credit crunch is living in a dream world. Of course they will be affected and redundancies will have to occur if we are to survive.

Pay rises are impossible and the retirement age for civil servants must be extended to reduce the enormous bill to fund their guaranteed pensions. Let us see that 10 per cent cut now.

GORDON BROOKES,

Droitwich.