Five years ago watched Heather James shmooze her then colleagues on the planning committee into backing the installation of ugly and intrusive floodlights at the Sussex County Cricket Ground in Hove.

She said: "We have to move with the times" and they followed.

Ms James will now attempt to do the same for Karis. Her marketing and sales skills failed to persuade voters to re-elect her in May and I predict that her attempts to shmooze compliance from us now will also fail.

Hove residents are not stupid.

-Valerie Paynter, Hove