• CAMDEN’S tent scandal (‘I have to be absolutely clear – that what happened was completely unacceptable’, Councillor Georgia Gould, November 16) makes me wonder why council employees did not refuse to act and instead blow the whistle.

Were they planning to hide behind a “don’t blame us; the rules come with the job” policy? All it would have taken would have been a phone call. Who knows? Maybe that call was made and ignored.

There is clearly a culture problem in the council and this needs to be addressed. What also needs to be looked at is the number of empty properties in the borough.

My housing association, Notting Hill Genesis, has over 1,000, hidden in the accounts under the title of “voids”. At my last check of the council, they had a similar number.

With various exceptions empties should be taxed ruthlessly. This would bring a lot of capacity into use and tents might no longer be needed to the same extent.

PETER RUTHERFORD
Pandora Road, NW6