FOR the fifth year there are no Christmas lights in Ashley Road, Parkstone.

There are Christmas lights in every town and retail area from Swanage to Christchurch – including long high streets like Boscombe and Winton – but not one light bulb in Ashley Road.

What I find personally a disgrace is that there are 11 councillors for the Ashley Road area, voted into office and funded out of the public purse, to take a lead on civic issues, but year on year they will not between them take on this event for the benefit of everyone.

There are notably huge amounts of energy used during election campaigns from candidates with no end of door-to-door calls and flyers and promises – but when it comes to putting in similar effort for a public event then the same councillors, with one or two exceptions, have nothing to say.

If they do have anything to say it is that the ‘responsibility’ for lights is that of the traders.

But not so – councils and councillors across the land are only too glad to take a lead in organisation.

Businesses in Ashley Road will gladly donate and generously, but it takes a group of councillors to take a lead in the organisation.

JEFF WILLIAMS, Jubilee Road, Parkstone