Dear Editor,

In response to last week’s article, let’s not overlook the Council’s recklesss overspend of more than £1 million on their new office premises in Hereford.

The subsequent report found that key staff and senior officers were acting without authority.

A spokesman for the Council went on to say that ‘it had failed to offer Herefordshire residents value for money.’ However, I bet nobody has lost their job as a consequence.

It is wholly unreasonable for Nigel Shaw, Finance Cabinet Member, to sight Herefordshire Council’s overspend on ‘extra residential placements of adults with learning disabilities and a net increase of looked after children,’ who are some of the most vulnerable in society.

I suspect the waste is due to very poor management throughout the Council, and perhaps Mr Shaw can provide an accurate explantation as to where the real overspend has occurred.

Name and address supplied