Bob Hattersley, of Church­fields, Dartmouth, writes: More people drown than die in motor or pedal cycle accidents and house fires every year. Over the years, the Dart­mouth Indoor Pool trustees, committee, supporters and people of Dartmouth have expended a huge amount of their time, skills and enthusiasm, not to mention their own money, to bring to fruition a modern indoor swimming pool project for Dartmouth. Some time ago, South Hams district councillors promised to support this £2.1m initiative with a capital grant of £400,000 and the Dartmouth town councillors also promised a grant. During much of that effort by the DIP team have been subjected to what seems to me to be a scandalous series of allegations, befuddled insinuations of incompetence and attempts to impede progress of this project. Now the latest announcement by the district council's two new executive directors that they will make new conditions to the grant and so wish delay it yet again until another meeting to be held later this year, appears to be a cruel tactic to try to thwart our town's wish to provide this life-saving facility for our children, visitors and general population. What other conclusion can one draw? By failing to act in a straight forward manner, making clear decisions promptly and giving unequivocal statements that can be relied upon – our councillors and these new executive directors seem to me to be giving us very good reason to doubt their ability to fulfil the task for which they were appointed or elected. This dubious leadership by our councillors and these new executive directors is causing totally unnecessary cost increases which means unnecessarily wasting the donors' money. I believe that they should be hanging their heads in shame.