Embarrassed to declare Keighley is my birthplace

Whether the audit report states guilt or infers potential illegal activities is irrelevant based on the damage to reputation that has been brought onto this town.

I accept some serving members will have joined the council after the period that was investigated, but by association, and witnessing the responses by certain members, I feel the whole chamber has managed to ruin a bastion of localism.

There’s no doubt much of the work undertaken by KTC is positive and makes the area a better place, but this is easily lost beneath the disruption elected and co-opted councillors have caused.

Whilst I don’t want to single out individuals, I do feel some councillors are certainly not doing the public-serving body any favours by their actions or words (including lack of).

I’ve always been a true believer in localism and transparency, but the council as a whole is filled with wildcard members and provides the public with repeated evidence of an insular and irresponsible group. Claiming that only the electoral process of the ballot box will dislodge self-important individuals is further evidence of egotistical personalities gone wild.

Apologies to those serving members who are acting, and have acted, properly, but you are failing the population by your inability to bring about changes.

Finally, KTC seems to also have a number of ‘invisible’ councillors! When I was populating the list of recipients, I realised I didn’t even recognise the names of a large number. This is a real shame as it indicates the council is ‘run’ by a smaller number of louder voices.

One day the town council may return to being an institution to be respected. What we have now is far from this ideal.

MARK PULLEN

Brighouse