WITH regard to the letter from George Skelly (Councillors should speak up for us', Mailbox, April 4), I really do have to say, George, that we are elected to lead as well as serve the people who elect us and I would say that I have done that in New Brighton to the best of my ability over many years.

As Wirral's lead member for Regeneration, I have led constituently (in consultation with our partners in the community and business world) over five years on the proposed £75m Neptune scheme.

This is a scheme, if it gets the go-ahead, that will bring jobs, investment, leisure facilities and an improvement in people's quality of life, with additional public facilities, amenities and infrastructure.

I have led with my party, as part of our budget plans, to make New Brighton a safer place for residents with the introduction during the last three years of additional Police Community Safety Officers, Alleygates and the successful implementation of ASBOs, to finally get rid of the notorious family from hell' who plagued the community for years.

With regard to The Grand and Hotel Victoria, surely they are a sign of the times and the economic decline that New Brighton has gone through over the last 40 years, so please, George, I hope you will get behind these plans to reverse those years and help to make New Brighton a place we can be proud of in future.

Councillor Pat Hackett, New Brighton Ward, Wirral Borough Council