• A CAMDEN library closing over the four coldest months of the year, when it is regarded as a valuable “warm hub”, has to be counted as one of the grubbiest tricks in the council’s book.

I don’t doubt that West Hampstead’s needs to be brought up to modern environmental standards but when I ask for the schedule of works and costs and am told by John Gillespie, surveyor for property services, to take out an FOI, freedom of information, request, I become immediately suspicious.

In the name of all that is holy, what can be needed to be done to an obvious adequate building to take a squad of, perhaps, half a dozen people, 16 weeks to complete? Why the secrecy?

I will take out a FoI, but, as Mr Gillespie knows full well, the results will take too long to make any difference. We are seeing a lot of criticism of Labour nationally; it seems the problem is alive and well locally.

PETER RUTHERFORD, NW6