I am one of the representatives of the St Margaret’s with St Nicholas ward and as well as the panel and committees I am appointed to, I try to attend other meetings of local groups when invited by local residents.

My fellow ward member and I have held surgeries and I regularly walk around the ward and make myself known to residents when I meet them.

I have also been working alongside officers in an attempt to get a larger town centre group together.

It was agreed, recently, by all taking part that a small town centre group was what was required with a possible twice-yearly meeting of all local groups.

I also receive emails, letters and telephone calls and respond to those communications and I hope that the people who have contacted me would feel I have done my best to help them although it is not always possible to solve the problems raised.

I don’t see the communications I receive as an “ear-bashing”.

Local residents have problems or issues whether large or small and, which mean a great deal to them and are sometimes very emotive.

When the newly-elected councillors received training a while ago, we were advised that the role of a councillor is to try to point people in the right direction to get their queries investigated or answered and to provide a voice for members of the community.

I have, during the year or so since I was elected, put in a lot of hard work as a councillor and I object to Mr Crisford’s implication that I might only be putting in enough time as either a town councillor or as a borough councillor and that I might not be trying to be both even though I am not elected as a town councillor.

I don’t know Mr Crisford and, as far as I am aware, he doesn’t know me or know how I and fellow councillors are working on behalf of their local residents. It is supposition on his part, not knowledge of me and of my experiences.

Lesley Bambridge, councillor for with St Margaret’s with St Nicholas, Lynn