Do others share my view that the departure of Brighton and Hove City Council's chief executive David Panter is not a matter for national mourning?

He comes over to me as an unappealing, self-motivating extrovert, never far from the high life at other people's expense, in two years regularly spending on one meal what would keep some families for weeks.

Any fool can do that.

And while he may not often travel by private car, taxi journeys count.

To compare him with the late, great Bill Dodd is both odious and to speak ill of the dead.

It also seems to me that far from bringing instant and unlimited success to wherever he goes, this office has served his own interests well.

He came to Brighton with no senior local government experience.

He has had several jobs in 20 years and it takes most people at least six to twelve months to settle in to the requirements of a post.

So each move has provided a stepping stone in this officer's career and, at a point when employers might expect a reasonable return, he is off again - in our case, leaving his dustbins behind him.

As to his successor, it is typical of this council just to throw money at the already highly-paid post before even considering the position.

It does not occur to them that Bradford, for example, cannot attract applicants because people do not want to go there, whatever the salary.

We had this nonsense even 20 years ago when senior officers applied for hefty salary increases (denied to junior ranks) citing "comparable" salaries in Bradford and other such industrial towns.

On a motion by Danny Sheldon and myself (in open council be it noted) members threw out this impudence and invited staff who were disgruntled to apply to go elsewhere. None did.

It is time this council came down from the clouds.

-Arthur Harman, Brighton