COMMENTS by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles about levels of local authority funding have triggered the inevitable explosion of fury from county hall in Durham (Echo, Jan 19).

Council leader Simon Henig says Mr Pickles’ comments show he simply does not understand the reality of the situation.

As a resident whose council tax has more than doubled in the last ten years, I am equally exasperated and would love to know why the number of council employees who are paid more than £50,000 per year has risen from 27 in 1996-7 to 220 in 2009-10.

Even allowing for a reasonable salary increase in line with inflation, it seems to me that it is not Mr Pickles who needs a reality check, but the people running the show allegedly on behalf of their long suffering customers.

David Lacey, Durham.

THE pundits on television and the political commentators in our newspapers who criticise the coalition’s plans for public spending cuts always duck the issue of just where the axe should fall.

They skirt around the issue or, worse still, persist with the ridiculous argument that cuts are simply not necessary.

I can’t take them seriously unless they come up with a reasonable counter-proposal.

Come on, tell us where to cut?

Alec Telford, Darlington.