• THE Local Government Ombudsman are the words which jumped off the page when I read the letter from Nigel Rumble, (Camden must do much better on housing, April 21), who rightly bemoans the state of council housing.

He could have added the harm done by not observing the saying “a stitch in time…” and some ridiculously expensive cyclical decoration programmes.

What power does the LGO have to do anything about it? They have the power to make recommendations and Camden has the power to ignore them; and so often does.

What is the quality of an ombudsman who stays in office when so powerless?

But another issue is why complaints have go to the LGO in the first place. The answer has to be that Camden’s complaints office is worth less than a chocolate teapot.

The process is long-winded, sometimes ignores complaints entirely, and has no ambition to create lasting change and improvement; not to mention financial savings.

It doesn’t need to it is happy with things as they are. In short it is a complete joke.

We need a full and comprehensive open, public, inquiry into the performance of this department with a view to getting lasting changes along with their attendant cost savings.

We can no longer continue to afford the cost of the waste.

If this letter is published, I will ensure the council leader is aware of it on the day of publication.

The importance of this matter is such that I will ask that an announcement about an inquiry is made immediately on the front page of the council’s website.

If there is no such notice by 5pm on Friday April 29, readers may conclude that this proposal for an inquiry has been screwed up and tossed into the bin.

PETER RUTHERFORD
Pandora Road, Nw6