SIR – We have to congratulate Alicia Kelly for making a ‘fair point’ (Worcester News, April 5) in that Trish Haines (the vastly overpaid Worcestershire County Council chief executive) appears to be acting with dubious haste in wishing to “draw a line”

under the George Lord affair (Worcester News, April 4).

This is particularly so when relatives of one of the victims are still pressing for a full inquiry into how their complaints were handled.

What is perhaps even stranger is that Mrs Haines appears to be pressing for closure before the independent investigators Employee Services West Midlands Councils have delivered their report into this matter.

Alicia is quite right – no one wants this sordid series of events to be dragged out indefinitely – but the general tone of the press statements from County Hall expressing absolute support for the employees affected from day one do not square at all with the victim’s own recollections of how the affair was handled.

I doubt very much that Mr Lord would have acted in the way he did if he had not believed that any complaint against him would have been suppressed at an early stage.

The comment by a council member that 30 years ago this would have never have seen the light of day implies either ignorance of a staggering magnitude or the suggestion of a failed attempt at a whitewash or cover-up.

So a bit too early, I think, to draw that line just yet, Mrs Haines.

ANDY O’HARE
Worcester