SIR — I read with some incredulity (Free Press June 10) that West Somerset District Council is employing a market research company to ascertain what the people of Minehead want for their town. Are they (the council) unable to read? Perhaps they are deaf! However it beggars belief that they are using ratepayers' money to entice Joe Public to attend focus groups to discuss this issue. Our dear leader jumps up and explains that it is normal practice for councils to employ such tactics to gauge public opinion. This is a joke surely! If I went down the town and offered every Tom, Dick and Harry a free drink and £25 to come to a meeting I am sure I would get a real cross section of residents! Anyone with any brain would consider this an insult, but there are plenty of disadvantaged souls who would jump at the freebie. Whoever thought up this stunt must be bonkers. A blind man can see that the financial inducement must invalidate the exercise! I attended the council's recent cabinet meeting, at which it appeared that the ruling party was prepared to admit it had made some errors and wished to enter into discussions with all interested groups; I felt we were at last getting somewhere. To then find that the council was at the same time covertly pursuing market research just shows how devious our leaders have become. Ian Melhuish, Whitegate Road, Minehead.