Was I the only resident annoyed, disappointed and frustrated at East Devon District Councils response to your headlines about the state of the seafront lights in March 4 edition? Did we get a sensible and meaningful response from our council?

Was I the only resident annoyed, disappointed and frustrated at East Devon District Councils response to your headlines about the state of the seafront lights in March 4 edition?

Did we get a sensible and meaningful response from our council? Did our council do anything that demonstrated promotion of tourism in our town? Did our council give any indication that they intended to act swiftly upon the concerns expressed in your article? Did our council answer those concerns at all? No.

The response in your following week's headline article was a handful of spin and a blatant attempt to fog the issue.

A pathetic front page report where a few lines blamed maintenance cutbacks followed by transparent promises of a "big boost for the seafront" and a "very exciting project" in the form of a watersports school/shop and a Jurassic Coast Interpretation Centre on the seafront.

Well, those of us with decent memories will recall the first option was mooted some years ago and, aside from setting a dangerous precedent, was deemed illegal because there is a covenant that prevents any building on the seafront site and that, rightly so, remains the case.

The second option has also been floated before, had its Government funding to Devon County Council refused, remains pie in the sky and is nowhere near reaching any decision or planning stage.

A pretty poor attempt to try to distract Exmouth residents from the key issue, but the question remains - why can't EDDC afford to maintain the seafront lights out of their multi-million pound budget, �4.6 million of which is supposedly allocated to recreation and tourism? After all, they've managed until now, the spending budget is adjusted to inflation, so where exactly is all the money going?

Rarely a week goes by without some significant criticism of this council in your pages, and it really is time EDDC started behaving like a district council, working, cooperating and liaising with its community and not acting as an antagonist.

Come on EDDC, get your act together - either change the light bulbs on the seafront or turn the damned things off, or is that too much to ask?

John Thorogood,

41 Morton Road, Exmouth.