THERE have been two letters from Alderman George Stokes printed recently on these pages in which he expressed his concern at the decision by Warrington Borough Council to collect charges for North West Water from council tenants as part of their rent.

The Liberal Democrats spoke in Council against this proposal which we believe is an infringement of tenants' rights. It is of no benefit to tenants and could result in people being evicted from their homes for nonpayment of water bills. It is also discriminatory, in that no other group of people faces such a threat.

The voluntary agencies, the Citizen Advice Bureau and the Community Law Centre expressed their concerns by letter and in person at the Housing Meeting on January 25 but in spite of this the proposal was voted through by Labour Councillors on January 28 without a word being spoken against.

As a Liberal Democrat councillor in opposition I am clearly not privy to all the reasoning behind this decision, but I do not believe it is any part of the Council's job to act as a debt collector for the privatised water industry.

I am dismayed at what I consider to be the distorted priorities of the Labour Group now running this powerful Unitary Council. Perhaps in an attempt to follow the Government's lead partnership with big business now seems to matter more than the rights of local people.

JUDITH WALKER

Liberal Democrat Councillor

Warrington Borough Council

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.