SIR - In one of your recent publications there was an article regarding the payment levels of a number of council executives. The levels of renumeration for these executives and most others in the public sector is obscene.

Those running the councils and health and emergency services haven't the first idea how to buy wisely and operate to a budget, their answer to every financial mess they cause is to hand the begging bowl a little higher, increase local taxes and blame the government for cutting their already more than adequate funding.

The editorial quite rightly claims they would attract even higher salaries in private industry. This is true, however the difference is that if they performed in the same manner and provided the same results they would be dismissed!

Bryan Hanson, Busy Lane, Windhill