SIR, — In May Cllr Robert Donald was crowing that the Lib Dems have a strong hold on St Albans District Council and welcomed their latest of many recent national party leaders to St Albans to join the victory celebrations. Months later, with the usual c

SIR, - In May Cllr Robert Donald was crowing that the Lib Dems "have a strong hold" on St Albans District Council and welcomed their latest of many recent national party leaders to St Albans to join the victory celebrations.

Months later, with the usual campaign promises long forgotten, we are now seeing the consequences of what their victory means in practice.

Local Lib Dems claimed to want to "save our Green Belt" and have blamed everybody under the sun, including the Prime Minister, for the erosion of it. They even sought to make it a political campaign by attacking other local parties.

However, anybody who was enticed into signing any form of party political petition under the ruse of an "all-party campaign", must now surely be asking themselves what was it all for. The very same Lib Dems have now approved plans to dig up big chunks of the Green Belt, build scores of houses, a massive college and create a 820-space car-park on it.

It would appear that all the local Lib-Dem party needed to do was just have a word with themselves and agree not to build on it and save the people of St Albans time and effort.

Given this, people will now see their "Hands off Herts" campaign for what it was - an unprincipled, publicity tactic in order to gain votes for Lib-Dem councillors and coverage for Mr Sandy Walkington, the man whom they hope will be one day elected to Parliament to represent St Albans.

BOB SANDERSON,

Jennings Road, St Albans.