Sir - Well done to Oxford city councillor Val Smith for speaking out about the bar at the Blackbird Leys community centre (Oxford Mail, July 27).

The council is in the business of providing much-needed services to the local community and, for the life of me, I fail to see where the operation of a bar, of any description, fits in.

Community centres exist to provide services to the entire community and when they become no-go areas, it is time for the council to intervene.

I am sure that with the present situation in Blackbird Leys, this particular community centre certainly falls into this category.

The bar in Blackbird Leys has posed many problems to the city over the years and it is high time this problem was resolved once and for all.

There is an old saying that "if it's not broke, don't fix it".

However, this situation is certainly broke and, it appears to me, to be beyond fixing!

Mick McAndrews

(Councillor)

Old Marston

Oxfordshire County Council