I READ with interest Coun J H Hirst's comments (Letters, August 18) and, tongue in cheek, debated with myself whether replying to letters in the Evening Telegraph was one of the things that councillors could claim expenses for.

I also wondered whether councillors in the past read the Telegraph, presumably being too poor to purchase a copy for themselves.

I can remember the time when councillors served out of a sense of public duty, not for the fringe benefits. I do not expect councillors to be out of pocket as a result of serving on the council, but feel that payments should be only made to compensate for actual out-of-pocket expenses.

I would have thought that a salary of £3,000, (equivalent to a full-time salary of £19,000) was adequate to meet most councillors' expenses.

I repeat what I said before: councillors do not have to claim expenses.

G. SMITH, Bold Street, Blackburn.

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