THE recent meeting of the Swindon Borough Council which fixed community tax for the 2003/04 year turned out to be on the lines of a Brian Rix farce with one person abstaining and others failing to turn up to vote on this crucial issue.

A farce it may be but I am sure that the majority of people who signed the petition organised by Frank Avenell asking the council to review all spending plans, will have another name for it.

They will no doubt register their disapproval on the ballot papers in the forthcoming local elections.

The May elections give Jo Osorio of Swindon Age Concern a wonderful opportunity to step into the spotlight and show the senior citizens of this town that he is able to assist them in other ways and not just by helping them to fill in claim forms for extra benefits.

Mr Osorio by virtue of his post is in an ideal position to spearhead a campaign to urge the senior citizens of Swindon not to vote for any candidate who supported, or failed to oppose the almost unaffordable rise in the community charge imposed on us.

We senior citizens by uniting together have the opportunity to give this dreadful council a bloody nose and to show them that pensioner power is something which should not be toyed with.

R W Selway

Burden Close

Stratton St Margaret

Swindon