SIR _ Last Saturday afternoon, I went against my better nature (it was a glorious day) and took a call from a woman telephoning on behalf of West Somerset District Council to get local residents' views on current issues. I felt obliged to give forth views and words of wisdom, as this was the local council. Fifteen minutes or so into the conversation, out of politeness, I enquired as to where in Minehead she was ringing from. To my surprise, and subsequent disbelief, she was calling from that suburb of Minehead known as York. Not the local hotel and bar of the same name, but the famous city. Even worse was to follow - not only had she never visited Minehead, she didn't even know where it was! Now, it is a well documented fact that our esteemed local council is well versed in using expensive, out of town, consultancy firms - most of whom probably share the same Mickey Mouse degrees in obscure subjects as well as the single (obligatory) brain cell. However, surely it is high time that these overpaid councillors (along with their equally overpaid minions) got off their well-larded backsides and actually did this sort of thing themselves. Sadly, we all know what the outcome would be. Still, think of the PR, and the money saved, which could be put to much better use within our local community. Oh, hang on - two nasty words spring to mind - common sense. I await the whingeing ripostes with glee and the battle cry "snouts out of trough". Kevin Greene, Dene Gardens, Alcombe.