EALING Council leader Julian Bell has failed to listen or to respond to the residents of Acton when it comes to the closure of their beloved swimming pool.

Not particularly surprising really when you discover that he cannot even be bothered to reply to local MP Angie Bray when she writes to him about it.

I was at the meeting last week at which nervous council leaders had to run the gamut of enraged residents, and one wonders whether there is some dark and disreputable reason behind their continuing commitment to destroy a building that everyone loves, replacing it with a second rate facility that noone has demanded.

And on top of that, they are so desperate to do this that they are planning to close and 'decommission' the building before they have even got planning permission for its replacement.

Shouldn't the Ealing Gazette consider getting behind the concerns of its readers and backing the campaign, at least, to keep it open until planning permission for a replacement has been granted - and preferably a campaign to prevent the closure of one of the oldest and most beautiful surviving swimming pools in London?

It opened its doors in June of 1904 and has been serving us ever since.

RICHARD DENTON

Maldon Road

Acton