OVER the last few weeks, every time my Lancashire Evening Telegraph has dropped on my door mat I have asked myself what next has the Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Hyndburn, Hugh Neil, been up to.

I now see he is reported to have written to all Conservative association members, asking for support at a meeting on January 16 which has been called to put into process his deselection. Funny, I never received any letter. It would appear he is still insisting that a small number of association members are out to get him and that everything which has been said against him is totally untrue.

Well, the way I see the matter is that if Hugh Neil is so convinced that he has been wronged by any member of Hyndburn Conservative Association and if his character has in any way been vilified, then he has only one option left open to him.

Let him issue a writ for libel against his accusers. After all, if he is right, then there are laws to protect him.

We have a saying in these parts which is most applicable in his case - "put up, or shut up."

JOHN FARRER, Mallard Place, Oswaldtwistle.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.