I WAS struck by a letter in the Echo on August 30, on the matter of the closure of toilets in Upper Parkstone, asking if there was no ‘honour’ left in the council and business.

From what I understand it seems that none of the councillors involved, or business people, will now take responsibility for the decision.

Now retired for many years from the military, it has many times struck me how very different cultures are in the services to civvy street.

We just had huge air and naval displays in Bournemouth which all looks very impressive, but behind all that are our values and top of the list is personal honour and respect. This means if we mess up then we would not dream of not owning up.

If we didn’t we would get much flack to say the least.

Respect, along with trying to be selfless and looking out for others, is what holds us together.

But clearly not in the political and business worlds, where all I see is ruthless competition, everyone out to outdo the others.

Only too glad when a rival suffers mishaps, or gets it wrong and fails. And so we end up with what I call a worm culture.

Politicians in particular always trying to blame others, as with MPs’ expenses a few years ago.

And in Poole now a dozen councillors, and it seems between them all little sense of personal honour. Instead of standing up and saying ‘it was my fault, I got it wrong’. They are doing all they can to pass blame on to anyone else. In the end this doesn’t earn respect, does it?

I can only conclude honour is the prime currency in the services, money and profit in business, and bottom of the pile ducking for cover in politics.

DENNIS HAYWARD, Victoria Road, Parkstone