Sir – Councillor Mitchell seems to believe that democracy resides in himself and his fellow-councillors and derives from them, and that any decisions they make are automatically ‘democratic’; moreover, that invoking this word makes the matter final and means that they must never be questioned or opposed by the people of Oxfordshire (Tiny tail wagging dog, Letters, December 22).

I am afraid he has it backwards: democracy resides in the population of the county as a whole, and he and his colleagues are merely delegated by the former to carry out their wishes. It is they who are the tail.

Clearly, Mr Mitchell is none too happy that mere serfs objected to the county council’s decision to allow a footpath diversion in Bodicote. After all, they are only a ragtag of ramblers and their supporters. But that is their legal right, and I am afraid Mr Mitchell will have to put up with it. Last time I checked, this country was not yet called ‘USSR’. Another way in which Mr Mitchell has completely misunderstood the concept of democracy, is his apparent belief that a small number of people must never protest against anything, because that would annoy both the council and other people.

John Kinory, Steeple Aston