I read with interest two articles, one about County Hall's most senior employees' salaries, and the other predicting a 4.25 per cent increase in council tax (Oxford Mail, November 29 and 30).

How can such people, employed by us, sleep at night when they are expecting us, on a basic state pension of around £5,000 per year, to subscribe towards that amount -and then expect an increase?

I am sure pensioners' champion Bill Jupp is right - it will be "eat or heat" for many. There is an even more disturbing article giving details of a proposed method of calculating council tax.

It will involve intrusive visits to property and result in a charge of one per cent on value.

This will mean, in many cases, a payment of around half of the state pension. I have voted on an online poll in favour of income-related council tax and see that 77 per cent agree with this method.

This is the only fair way when house values are increasing and state allowances are not.

ROSEMARY WALKER Sycamore Road Launton Bicester