It is astonishing that Tony Prince, deputy mayor at Telscombe Town Council, still seems to have difficulty in understanding the sheer anger residents showed at the recent council meeting (Opinion, July 26).

Last summer, following a referendum in which almost 70 per cent of the public voted, 99 per cent rejected any offer from Southern Water re-selling the Tye.

One must therefore question the motives of the mayor and deputy mayor in attempting to resurrect this offer.

Further discussion should never have been part of any agenda and it was naive of them to think the public would let them get away with it.

Furthermore, it is important to remember Coun Prince attempted to discuss this as a confidential item on the agenda, although all information was already in the public domain. It was only when challenged and a vote taken that it was dealt with in

public. His description of those attending the council meeting as a mob only adds further insult to injury.

His reluctant decision to vote for the motion to halt all negotiations with Southern Water until after the result of the inquiry was known, only to "try to bring order to the meeting", is outrageous.

That must be very reassuring to the public! If he felt so strongly, why did he not have the courage to vote against the motion?

More worrying is the reference in Southern Water's correspondence to Telscombe's own advisers who, it appears, made the initial overture and suggested a mechanism for paying the council more than the agreed market value of the land.

It is going to take more than a grudging apology from Coun Prince before the public has any confidence in him again.

-David Davidson, Councillor Telscombe Town Council