I RECENTLY had the shock news that the Vale of Glamorgan Council are in the running to be named as the Best Local Authority.

I had to check the date as I thought it was April Fools Day.

I would like to request that the Vale council are removed from the list as they have been an absolute disaster for the people.

When you elect your local politicians they are supposed to serve and protect the people, this council just serve and protect themselves.

They have done almost nothing for the people here.

Here in Barry we have no cinema, no outdoor swimming pool, no leisure facilities for the adults or teenagers. They have heaped well above inflation rises on our council tax, they have cut our services, they want us to recycle yet charge us for the bags, they turn our street lights off at midnight and wash their hands of any crimes that happen during darkness.

They sacked all salaried staff in our library, then had the cheek to ask for volunteers. They are, as it seems, cutting funding to one of our streets Christmas lighting funds by £1,500, yet they seem fit to fork out £30,000 on computer tablets for themselves.

They take no notice of petitions, they cost the taxpayer £250,000 to upgrade their council chamber.

We have the managing director of the council stating the council has a long track record of delivering first class services, this man is on £140,000 a year and offers no value at all to the people of the Vale.

The final nail in the Vale coffin should be that they have voted for the building of what I will call a 'wood burning incinerator' which is blighting our town and is being built just a few hundred yards from a residential area, the people of Barry are furious with the council.

So may I please, once again, ask you to withdraw the Vale council's nomination for this award on behalf of the people.

DJ Radford

Coleridge Crescent

Barry