I WRITE regarding a national issue, which affects all our lives at nearly every level. I refer initially to Harrow Borough Council attempting to prosecute a Mrs Patel for having the clearly evil intentions of securing her child a decent education. Harrow

I WRITE regarding a national issue, which affects all our lives at nearly every level. I refer initially to Harrow Borough Council attempting to prosecute a Mrs Patel for having the clearly evil intentions of securing her child a decent education.

Harrow council has now had to drop this case due to the fraud allegation not being legally pursuable. In fact, it's not a law at all.

Harrow Council clearly thought they had grounds for a case, though, and now Ed Balls is attempting to change the law so that other parents can be prosecuted, arrested and locked up for sending their children to a school of their choice. Strangely, I don't remember any such investigations when the Rt Hon Anthony Blair did the same thing.

It is from a council such as Harrow that Cambridgeshire County Council obviously takes its lead. The council uses the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (RIPA) to spy, and there is no other word for it, on hard-working, taxpaying citizens.

If anyone else followed a paper boy or girl around, we would be talking about a different offence altogether, but we know by now that Cambridgeshire County Council is apparently above the law. This is confirmed by the report which says, (elected members should not have) 'direct involvement in operational matters'.

Well, of course not. We can't have the councillors knowing what's going on - if that happened, we might progress to a democracy where the county council is not in charge.

I was a bit confused when they took over the running of the schools, hospitals and libraries. Now, not only are they watching us, they have taken over us. They make nearly every community decision for us, and make up jobs to justfy their actions - and just try to get through to a department to complain.

I urge everyone now, write to them, phone them or e-mail them, and make clear what you want done in your area. The taxpayer is in charge in this country, and the council should not be allowed to forget that,

(Councillor) PAUL H DAKERS

Burstellars

St Ives