Further to the letter in last week’s edition of the Keighley News regarding the campaigns to save Tree Tops Children’s Centre and the toilets in Haworth Park – ‘Shame on you for trying to take credit for saving the facilities’ (Keighley News, April 24) – I would like to reply to the comments made.

As a parish councillor, I am not politically affiliated, my interests are in the local community and the grass-roots issues that affect our daily lives.

I think your readers will be well aware of the forthcoming local elections on May 22 and that political parties will be seeking credit for their achievements on local issues. I’m certain few people will be surprised there are some who will also seek to take credit away from those that rightfully deserve it. Regardless of their political party and national issues at Westminster, I want to see people elected as ward councillors that have a track record of putting the interests of the local community first.

Bradford Council has had to make difficult choices on spending cuts, and we have had to work hard as a community to come together and challenge them. Having been closely involved in these campaigns in Haworth, I think it unfair one of your readers sought to diminish the involvement and support of our three Worth Valley Ward councillors – Glen Miller, Rebecca Poulsen and Russell Brown.

They were instrumental in raising awareness among the community of these proposed cuts, ensuring good press coverage and lobbying Bradford Council; they gave us 100 per cent support and were a key part of the community’s success, and I do not recall any involvement from other election candidates.

I expect your letters page will contain quite a few politically-driven comments during the next few weeks, but I hope people will use local elections to vote for those councillors who do what it says on the tin; working hard 365 days a year for local people on local issues. In my view, party politics should be kept for the general election; not long to wait.

Councillor Nikki Carroll