I AM the surviving founder member of the Swan Theatre and with Henry Gorst, the architect, I was involved with the theatre project from the beginning.

When I recall the efforts that were made by so many individuals, schools, colleges and societies to raise money to establish a theatre and arts centre for Worcester and the support in may ways from industry and commerce, for the city council's grant to the theatre to be cut is deplorable.

While I appreciate the financial problems of local authorities, from the views accorded to Mr Inman, the leader of the council, it is clear that he has little idea of the cost of running even a small theatre as The Swan.

Nevertheless, the board of the Swan will obviously be considering whether there are areas where their costs can be reduced without affecting the considerable benefit that the theatre has brought to the city in many ways, particularly in its community work.

BRIAN McKECHNIE

Worcester.

n A 40 per cent pay rise - £413 to £576 a week?

I wish the firefighters well, but their leaders are politically nave.

Why did they not - long before Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott had an excuse to denounce their claim as "fantasy" - enlist the services of a city of London "independent" remuneration committee?

Why did they not enlist one of the respected committees who have managed to achieve an average £1.5m annual salary for many heads of companies in the FTSE 100 index?

Always pleading "these individuals do a difficult job!"

And not much in the way of comment from Press or politicians that these obscene salaries "would damage the UK economy?"

FRANK L JONES, Malvern.