In the best tradition of Victor Meldrew, that was my reaction to reading the comments of County Councillor Bob Woodhouse in the Guardian of August 12 regarding rural bus and rail services.

On behalf of Northwich Town Council, I sit on the Public Transport Liaison Committee, of which Clr Woodhouse was the chairman.

Over all the years of my attending this committee, the story for rural bus services has been one of cut, cut and cut again.

It was very depressing.

Then, at the last meeting, for the first time there was something to cheer about.

The Government had awarded an extra £600,000 to Cheshire County Council, specifically to expand and re-provide rural bus services. The difficulty then was to ensure the most useful and effective use of the money, so as to reduce rural isolation and provide the most appropriate services.

So come on Clr Woodhouse, it was you and your party that cut the rural services you now complain no longer exist, and then you hit out at John Prescott for allocating the money to provide such services?

"I don't believe it. I just do not believe it!"

CLR KEVIN MANNION

Winnington.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.