Councillor Mike Freer will have to do a lot better than his lame excuse that the online forum was 'being used as a chatroom' (New service will monitor legitimate concerns', Times Letters, April 3).

The vetting/monitoring procedure Barnet Council used meant that the forum could not operate as a chat room. However, it did mean that many messages were deleted messages asking the council questions about Barnet FC, Partingdale Lane and the Burnt Oak Youth Centre that the council would rather not answer.

Such behaviour from the council towards Barnet fans is nothing new. Over the last 12 months, we have been banned from using the council online forum, banned from a summer fair, taunted by councillors at public meetings, and told not to contact our local councillors.

The council has been dismissive of our concerns about the future of our football club, as well as Partingdale Lane residents' concerns for their own safety, and Burnt Oak residents' concerns about the future of their new youth club. All these groups will not simply disappear or go away, no matter what certain councillors may say to the press.

Michael Hanley

Keep Barnet FC Alive

April 7, 2003 16:30