Many of us have long suspected that Council Central in Weymouth houses the Portland Punishment Team.

Imagine my surprise to find that we had developed our own punishment squad, home grown and suddenly toxic.

Under the title of Portland Town Council (a group set up to oversee your and my local affairs and interests) some bright spark has hatched a plan to lift a cool half million annually from everybody else’s pocket.

Knowing the council members (to paraphrase Shakespeare) to all be honourable people, I would put it to them that if they really believe that this move is a carefully thought-through plan to benefit all of us, they resign their seats and seek re-election on the manifesto of removing our hard earned cash.

I think I will take bets on the outcome and retire a millionaire.

Perhaps, to aid them in fulfilling their expected function, they could bring their website up to date (currently last updated June 13, 2013), seek to agree accurately collected minutes complete with voting figures and undertake to correctly observe standing orders conducted by their chairperson.

This would be a modest start to rehabilitate a sadly misused institution.

P Gwillim Mallams Portland