Does it really come as a great surprise to find out that council employees have been having a few perks, albeit expensive ones, at the tax payers' cost?

We have read about council leader Mike Bawden's attempts to clear up the monumental mess that is Swindon Council's so called purchasing policy more power to him.

Now Kelly O'Shea has blown the whistle on the mobile phone perk enjoyed by council employees, which just goes to prove Coun Bawden's claims of mismanagement.

Kelly O'Shea estimates that £50,000 of council money is squandered a year on the mobile phone perk (quite a conservative figure I would have thought), but it should be borne in mind is that this isn't council money, it's really yours and mine which we pay in council tax.

I am not surprised that Frank Avenell is, angry, depressed and disgusted. Frank makes more sense than the vast majority of councillors.

Let's scrap the £26,500 for Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, together with the £10,000 for European initiatives and the £123,000 for Racial Equality Council.

I've just saved £159,500 already and that's without trying very hard.

Someone's got to have the guts to do and say something about the way our council is run.

It's run by amateurs and, unfortunately for us, not very gifted ones.

But don't hold your breath while waiting.

It could be very bad for your health, in the same way that the council is bad for your pocket.

David Collins

Blake Crescent