SIR, — I am writing to you about the appalling treatment my nephew and his family have had to endure because of Herts County Council s annual incompetence. My nephew is one of the few Wheathampstead children with no locally-allocated school. My sister and

SIR, - I am writing to you about the appalling treatment my nephew and his family have had to endure because of Herts County Council's annual incompetence.

My nephew is one of the few Wheathampstead children with no locally-allocated school. My sister and her husband are not asking for the unattainable - all they want to do is send their son to his nearest school.

This week my sister and brother-in-law have to sit before an appeal board to justify why my nephew should be given a place at one of his local schools. This is an absolute disgrace.We all know that places are being allocated to children out of the area resulting in children who are eligible and fall within the right criteria having to go through this traumatic experience.

Every year more and more families are having to go through this because of the county council's total incompetence. I have watched the effect this has had on my nephew and his family and feel aggrieved and let down on their behalf by such a flawed system.

Surely it is not asking too much that all checks are completed before schools are allocated. This would mean that more local children would not have to go through this traumatic ordeal.

When will this change? Every year the same things are happening but to a different group of parents. No lessons are being learnt and the same incompetencies keep happening year after year.

Herts County Council take note. The system has to be properly managed and deemed to be fair. Currently it is not. Please let us hope that the department concerned can implement changes so that we do not find ourselves in the same boat next year.

C. GUY,

Pickford Hill, Harpenden.