FORMER councillor Mike Findley (Echo, May 9) says that Labour now has a mandate to press ahead with the “vertical pier” in Redcar. I wonder how he works this out?

In last week’s elections the Liberal Democrats won 11 out of 15 seats in Redcar town, an increase of four on the council elections of 2007.

Lib Dem candidates topped the poll in five of the six Redcar town wards. In the remaining ward – Kirkleatham – the vast majority of voters supported candidates opposed to the “vertical pier,” unfortunately the vote was split between Lib Dems and Independents.

A Lib Dem candidate also topped the poll in his own former Longbeck Ward – so maybe Labour’s mandate is not as great as Mike likes to think.

The residents of Redcar spoke very clearly. They want a real pier not a fake vertical one.

Councillor Chris Abbott, Redcar.