• THE council makes much of its assistance (though much of it comes from central government) to help residents with the cost of living crisis.

What it does not own up to is its contribution to the crisis.

As one of Camden’s leaseholders my service charge has rocketed almost 300 per cent from last year with no explanation.

Included in this amount is a charge for roads and footpaths even though we have neither. Additional to this is a 7 per cent hike in council tax and as yet-to-be-determined capital works charge.

Thus, I am expected to pay an extra £4,000 a year at the very least. How, as an octogenarian, does the council expect me to find this money?

No doubt there are many more elderly, retired council leaseholders in the same boat.

The latest Camden Magazine states: “We’re here for you”. It should have added “to turn a crisis into a disaster” in my case.

It would seem that leaseholders are being milked to try to dig the council out of its deep hole of mismanagement of the ring-fenced HRA, housing revenue account, with its reported arrears of £14million rent and £40million projected deficit.

If the figures are wrong perhaps somebody from the council can correct them.

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED