THE complaints about the candidates in the recent local election (Tavistock Times Gazette Letters, September 25) are just not fair, and deserve a full answer. Firstly, I am acquainted with two of the candidates, and I know that both of them had leaflets distributed.

Secondly, on the election day, our new representative stood outside the Pannier Market from 8.30am until 8.30pm with only the shortest of breaks to down some sandwiches. She wore a rosette, so was clearly identifiable to a would-be voter. Worried about the cold, friends unsuccessfully asked her to give up.

Had she canvassed? Seeing that many voters came up and chatted to her, after casting their votes, I observed, 'You seem to have a lot of friends'. Answer — 'No, these are lovely people I met on their doorsteps'.

Another candidate, whose job prevented him from being in person outside the booth, was covered for part of the day by our local county councillor.

As for candidates calling at every house in the ward, it is just not possible. The days available to canvas, after the official start of the campaign, omitting weekends (would 'Name and address supplied' really like to have a politician at his doorstep on Saturday evenings?) total fourteen.

Calling by day is useless — less than one house in six is occupied in the mornings. Besides, both candidates worked. There remain the evenings, two hours at the most. To cover over 2,000 houses of the ward means something like 80 houses per hour and going out each night, rain or shine! One cannot even deliver leaflets at that speed.

Finally, while helping on the day, more than one person came to me and said they'd had nothing. It turned out that they lived in Tavistock South — not being contested, as was clear from your excellent newspaper coverage two weeks before the election.

My conclusion is that we are very lucky to have a local democracy which brings out such hard working individuals, who do give up so much of their time to meet as many of the electorate as they can — and that is just the start of their task as councillors!

Ted Gibson

2 Stannary Bridge Road

Tavistock