I AM sorry that Liberal Democrat District Councillor Phil Brading has decided to attempt to "wreck" the Croxley Green Parish Council at least in its present form.

As a respected person in our community, I welcomed the fact he was prepared to give time to helping our parish council as I believed his expertise would help to heal the wounds inflicted 18 months ago.

Despite him, the council is carrying on with its business again in a methodical and efficient manner as anyone reading the latest edition of the Christmas edition of Parish Pump can see for themselves.

Ripping the scabs off nearly healed wounds is always a messy business but since Councillor Brading is so anxious to do this, let us examine the facts.

The basis of all this disfunctionalism goes back to July 2000 when the then chairman and a group of councillors decided on a course of action, ie. sacking the clerk without informing the rest of the members or briefing them in any way.

They were disagreeably surprised to find that their lack of expertise in "number crunching" lead to them losing when it came to the vote. Instead of remaining and making their case more cogently they then took umbrage and resigned, leaving us all in the lurch.

Since then, they have continued sniping away and one has actually tried to get back on the council at least twice.

Sadly for these people, elections have been held to fill their places and we now have a new dynamic set of members who are thoroughly fed up with pointless time wasting discussions about what certain persons did or did not do before they were elected.

They want, and have to a great extent, succeeded in improving matters concerning the quality of life of the citizens of Croxley Green.

On November 29, just as the parish council was peacefully settling down to deal with the usual business, councillor Brading marched in, demanded the agenda be changed, slapped down a wad of papers and proceeded to distribute them.

They constituted his "motion" which involved a grovelling apology to Mrs Sanders and the instant suspension of the clerk.

In other words, the suspension of all business immediately until further notice.

Members read the motion, considered it carefully and its implications and amended itc excluding the "wrecking clauses".

The amendment was voted almost unanimously (Councillor Brading was against). He then got up in a huff and walked out this is not the democratic way.

The position at the moment is that we are awaiting the findings of the employment tribunal, and will convene an extraordinary meeting to debate item two of Standing Order 14 Resolution of an Urgent or Emergency Nature.

In addition, the clerk is preparing to resign of his own volition and suitable candidates for his job will be interviewed.

I certainly resent the arrogant suggestion that an officer from the district council should be drafted in to fill the job temporarily just who does a single councillor think he is to act as judge and jury?

The Watford Observer has covered the whole proceedings in a most interesting way.

Unfortunately though, it was not stressed that Mrs Sanders allegations are not proven (since there were no witnesses), therefore the tribunal has ruled on the "balance of evidence" and payment has been made accordingly.

As someone who knew Mrs Sanders quite well and had no idea she was unhappy in her work I must admit to fond memories of herself and the clerk, wreathed in cigarette smoke, working away harmoniously until he went on holiday in July 2000, leaving her in charge, when she seemed equally at ease and happy.

Could her disappearance have something to do with the fatal day of the resignation of the councillors she disappeared about the same time?

I note the December 7 edition of The Watford Observer recycles all the names we had so many problems with so many months ago.

It appears we are going to have a rerun of various half baked conspiracy theories that everyone hoped (and prayed) had been put to bed for ever.

As for grovelling apologies I am afraid for this councillor, at least, this is not an option.

I'm sorry that Mrs Sanders feels aggrieved by the "kerfuffle" as she once called the reason for her paid leave of absence but I will need tangible proven evidence (with witnesses) before I am prepared to sacrifice the council I love on the altar of expediency.

David Wynne-Jones, Oakleigh Drive, Croxley Green.

December 21, 2001 10:30