Jill Tuck was chosen by the Tory group from a field of six during its monthly meeting last Friday.

Cllr Tuck's got quite a job on her hands. She will lead a council which has been on the receiving end of a series of adverse Audit Commission and CSCI reports, she will have to make something out of the congestion charging mess which the last two leaders have dropped her in and which has split her group, and she's got to ensure that the ever unpopular Cambridgeshire Guided Bus gets finished as near on time as possible and without going over budget.

At the same time she's got to address the issue of growth on the one hand and climate change on the other. The Conservative group has shown itself unimaginative in its approach to the former and signally unable to grasp the enormity of the latter.

If I were in Cllr Tuck's shoes I'd be looking to distance myself from the mistakes of my predecessors and to learn from the many inputs which the Lib Dems have given: through motions which they have moved in council, petitions which they have supported and the alternative budgets which they have presented in each of the last three years.
Cllr David Jenkins
Lib Dem group leader
Cambridgeshire County Council

Well done David
>> Thank you for publishing the photos and mentioning the fire engine pull through St Neots on Sunday, May 4 (Town Crier, May 8).

A great day was had by all and around £14,000 was raised.

What you failed to mention was the person who worked for months organising the day to make sure it ran smoothly.

David Webster, a firefighter from Stansted Airport who lives in St Neots, went around the town collecting items to be auctioned and raffled, sorted out the five teams which were made up of local men, firefighters and one team of women.

David Webster has work tirelessly for this charity for many years, but the engine pull is something he puts together. David also organises events that are put on for the summer camp at Grafham.

The St Neots firefighters and Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service are a great support and do a great job in helping give the children a lovely time.

David and other volunteers give up a week or two of their time (unpaid) to be with the children at Grafham.

I felt it was only right that he should be mentioned.
Without his hard graft there would be no engine pull which raises money for children with burns.
Mrs Webster
Eynesbury

Putting the record straight
>> I would like to thank the 620 people of Eaton Socon who voted for me on May 1. Their faith in supporting me and the work I do in my own village of Eaton Socon is very much appreciated.

To the 146 who switched allegiance I would just like to put the record straight on some of the rumours I heard while campaigning.

The new play equipment was not campaigned for by anybody but is part of the rolling St Neots Town Council programme of refurbishment of all our play equipment.

I also do not give out houses to illegal immigrants; I do not earn £50,000 per year by being a councillor; I did not jeopardise a cinema coming to our town; I have not used the offensive term 'paupers grave' in any connection; I have always supported our carnival and am not responsible for its sad demise; I have not stopped freedom of speech or question time at the Town Council meetings and I am certainly not responsible for the abolition of the Government's 10 per cent tax band.

Putting all that aside, the one thing I would like to reassure everyone of whatever political persuasion, is that I will continue to work at town council level for the benefit of the town and in particular the ward where I live, Eaton Socon. Let St Neots flourish.
Derek Giles
Eaton Socon Ward.
St Neots Town Council

Help disabled swimmers
>> Well done to all those councillors who won seats in the recent local elections.

Perhaps one or two of them could intervene in the deplorable lack of facilities for disabled persons in the swimming timetables.
St Ivo has this facility once a week at the most inconvenient time of noon.

Huntingdon has no facility at all and St Neots has relegated this facility to 7pm – a time when most disabled persons are exhausted.
Name supplied

Camping trip ruined by noise
>> Having decided to spend a couple of days peace and quiet at the Camping Club site in St Neots this weekend, we were disappointed to be kept awake until the early hours by what sounded like an illegal rave in the skate park and then what sounded like a mini riot when the music stopped.

An otherwise great weekend, particularly weather wise, was spoilt by this anti-social behaviour.

Does any part of the country not suffer from boorish behaviour such as this?

We certainly will not return to the area if this is a typical Saturday night
Mr Myers
Milton Keynes

Marie Curie
>> I am writing on behalf of Marie Curie Cancer Care to thank everyone in St Neots for their generous support of the recent Daffodil Appeal.

Your readers support with our collections in the town and at local supermarkets has raised an amazing £1,133.73 for the local Marie Curie nurses who provide free, high quality nursing to give terminally ill people the choice of dying at home supported by their families.

This fantastic amount will mean that local nurses will be able to provide 56 more nursing hours.
Karen Chesney
Community fundraising manager for Cambridgeshire