Reference has been made in your newspaper to the debts accrued at the Highworth Rec and that the management committee /trustees have been replaced by Swindon Borough Council.

As a longstanding town and district councillor and also Highworth Town Mayor, I can advise that when the councillor roles, together with the Highworth Town and Thamesdown Councils (now Swindon BC) were under Labour control, close analysis was made and reported upon regularly to the respective councils.

All councils would have been represented on to the Rec’s management committee and the fact that the delegated councillors failed to identify and report back to their council is nothing short of shameful.

Either their lack of interest, business/financial acumen or indeed inability to understand the mandatory financial reports has clearly cost both Swindon and even more so the Highworth residents dearly.

These negligent Conservatives should be identified and the Highworth residents informed appropriately.

Sadly, this is another example of negligence and this together with the still to be resolved matter concerning the ill-fated WiFi project that was launched in Highworth.

In essence, this latest costly exercise is indicative of the Conservative involvment in Highworth affairs and should be highlighted as additional reasons why Highworth residents should not trust the Conservatives.

Finally, it strikes me that history is being repeated when Coun John Short, elected as a Conservative to serve on Swindon Borough Council, then chooses to become an independent councillor without any reference to the Highworth electorate.

Derrick Bye Blunsdon St Andrews Swindon

Naming vandals

On Friday, February 24, cars in Devon Road and Cornwall Avenue were broken into.

Last year criminal damage was caused to many garden walls and a car broken into in the same area on March 25.

The idiots who damage walls walk freely in Devon Road, go into Cornwall Avenue through to Northern Road, returning within half an hour to go back down Devon Rod in to Churchward Avenue and through to Pinehurst.

One of these people is very thin with fair hair and a distinctive walk, the other is taller with dark hair.

They have also been seen in a gang of five with two bull-terrier-type dogs. Someone must know who they are. They are aged around 18 years. Please help.

Anonymous Devon Road

Rat runner rage

Can I believe my eyes? Never has a letter made me so angry.

Mr Cook of Holliday Close, Abbey Meads, writes in support of the Queensfield rat runners and his reasons, he says, are because (a) other rat runs have not been blocked and (b) he ‘sometimes’ visits the garden centre or the Co-op in Hyde Road.

What a sheltered life he must live, secure in his virtually traffic -free close in Abbey Meads.

I would be quite happy for all the other rat runs to be given the same traffic treatment as Queensfield or, better still, be altered to the system that operates in Abbey Meads.

Maybe then, SBC might be pursuaded to do something about Cricklade Road and its empty bus lane, the Moonrakers bottleneck junction and also open its coffers to arrange for through traffic between Cricklade Road and the A419 via the Groundwell Trading Estate.

What we are talking about here, is not your going shopping ‘sometimes’, though the God knows why you’d want to go from your Holliday Close, when you are surrounded by similar, better, facilities nearer home.

What the north side of this residential estate has had to suffer for years, is regular, often speeding, commuter cars and commercial vehicles getting through our once quiet narrow roads as quickly as they can, not someone who, by his own admission can choose to ‘rat run’ at another time of day.

If that is the attitude of the folks from the newer, posher parts of this borough, the sooner we make the traffic order permanent from 6am-6pm the better. Better still, Mr Cook, perhaps you could lobby for The Orbital shops and the Abbey Meads shops to be moved over to Hyde Road and you can have the Hyde Road Co-op and Gardening Club in exchange.

TG Flinders Queensfield Swindon

Sisters together

I am the president of Soroptimist International of Swindon & District, part of a worldwide service organisation for women. We are committed to a world where women and girls achieve their individual and collective potential, realise aspirations and have an equal voice in creating strong, peaceful communities worldwide.

Visit www.sigbi.org/swindon-and-district Last year we held a Join Me On The Bridge celebration for the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, joining with 75,000 others who took part across 70 countries and six continents.

We are encouraging as many people as possible this year to stand on the footbridge over Princess Street near the Wyvern Theatre in Swindon between 12.30 and 2pm.

We want to show women who have been through unimaginable hardship, in Afganistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq and other war-torn countries,that we, in Swindon, are standing in solidarity with them.

We also hope to raise awareness of equality issues in UK.

Will Swindon Advertiser Readers join me? You will find a very friendly welcome awaits you.

We are very aware that many people can only come for part of the time.

Do come and be part of it if you possibly can.

Jenny King President, Soroptimist International of Swindon

Road safety fear

I am writing regarding the new Wichelstowe Road and the junction of Mill Lane.

The new road has been open two months and already I have come across two nasty accidents at this junction. There are no lights there and I have witnessed cars just driving straight across and not looking to see if anyone is coming.

To the highways agency or whoever looks after this road, can you please look into this before something fatal happens.

This is the only stretch of road that has a crossroads and some traffic lights would certainly stop any fatalities.

Jane Mildenhall East Wichelstowe Swindon

Name winners

Time is running out for readers to nominate their favourite local charities and good causes for this year’s National Lottery Awards.

The Awards shine a light on the Lottery-funded organisations, changing communities and transforming lives. Over 370,000 National Lottery grants have been awarded since 1994.

There are literally thousands of Lottery-funded projects across the UK deserving of recognition.

Projects making it to the final of the Awards will be recognised at a star-studded event broadcast on BBC One in the autumn. More than three million people tuned in to watch the show last year. They will also have a chance to win a £2,000 cash prize.

The deadline is Monday, March 12. So we urgently want to hear from anyone that knows of a local National Lottery-funded project that deserves some recognition. Visit www.nationallotteryawards.org.uk to find out more.

Jenni Falconer National Lottery Draw show host The National Lottery Awards

Thanks for £220

Every Thursday night at the Glue Pot in Emlyn Square a quiz night is held.

One of the teams that participates is called ‘The Cunning Stunts plus Two Bobs’ who have for long donated any winnings they make to Swindon Guide Dogs for the Blind.

On March 1 they presented the charity with £220 and have given the charity more than £2,500 in the last few years.

Swindon Guide Dogs for the Blind would like to thank the quiz team.

The £220 they donated will pay for four guide dog harnesses.

Alan Fletcher Chair Swindon Guide Dogs