YET again Hambleton District Council has been found wanting. A tribunal judge has ruled it was wrong to withhold information from campaigners about Bagby airfield, near Thirsk (D&S Times, Jan 13).

Only five weeks ago, a tribunal judge upheld complaints by a trainee council solicitor who said he had been bullied and intimidated by the council’s senior legal staff (D&S Times, Dec 9).

Such independent scrutiny is essential if councils are to be held to account, but it is not always available.

Investigations into my several complaints to Northallerton Town Council about the former town clerk were twice botched and my complaint about this to the council was rejected despite the then mayor concluding I had been right and deserved an apology.

Under current procedures, one can only complain again to Hambleton council. In my case, this is ridiculous because of the many critical letters you have published from me about the council over the years and my previous problems with senior staff.

My complaint therefore was suspended while I consulted the department of local government in London. After an unbelievable delay of six months, I was told the council has “very wide discretion” which I interpret as meaning it can do what it likes.

When the suspension was lifted, my complaint was immediately rejected on the grounds that the events were more than a year old.

If I want to pursue it further, I have been told to use the council’s complaints procedures.

What is the point when a complaint would be handled by the chief executive who has already told me he has every confidence in his colleague? I do not take part in farces.

There used to be an independent standards board which called in complaints in such circumstances. It was abolished under “localism”.

There is now no means of local government complaints being handled independently.

In cases like mine it is obvious that there should be. In the absence of independence, councils get away with it.

David Severs, Northallerton