JILL BARBER, of Exeter Road, Ivybridge, writes:

Thank goodness for News of the Weird unearthing the ‘media policy’ document of Ivybridge Town Council, Chronicle, June 10. It beggars belief that such a document has been written.

One wonders who is running the town council, which we pay money to every year.

When I was a town councillor for 11 years in the 1970s and ’80s, the town clerk was a paid employee who was there to give advice and not permission.

Councillors made all the decisions and they were free to talk to the press unless the ­specific matter was of a ­confidential nature.

Why do the present clerk and councillors not trust their fellow councillors? What on earth are our councillors doing agreeing to this nonsense?

I can only think that over the years councillors must have been ill-advised, so that new councillors now think this is the norm for the clerk to give permission for media interviews.

I am sure departed councillors Jack Congdon, Tom Maddock, Reg Vincent, Mike Jewers, Dereck Bowden, Polly Blair, John Eddy, Joan Skinnard, Barry Thorn and Colin Blacker must be turning in their graves.

It is very sad for Ivybridge that such a situation has occurred. One can only hope that the next town clerk will advise against such rules or that the council will rescind them straight away so councillors’ freedom of speech can prevail.