I WOULD like to thank various people for their help in improving a dark and dangerous pathway in front of Gays Place and near St Catherine’s School field, even though it took two and a half years to accomplish.

A request for a street lamp was first made to our local councillors at their monthly surgery at Upper Stratton Library. As nothing appeared to happen after 12 months or so, Michael Wills MP was contacted. He wrote to the deputy chief executive of Swindon council on October 7, 2008, in reply they stated this was the first they had heard of the matter.

We were again contacted by our MP on October 28, 2008 with a letter from John Turner, Street Lighting, Streetsmart, stating that all funds for that financial year (2008) had been allocated, but we would be put on the list for 2009.

We were then informed that the light would be installed by September of that year, but as time went by we contacted a former Labour councillor, who did her best to get things moving. In the end it would be by Christmas when we got our light and with much joy a post was put up by the end of December, but only on February 19, 2010 was it connected to the power supply.

Thanks to the following: Coun Paul Findlow, Michael Wills MP, ex councillor Teresa Page, and of course John Turner, street lighting department.

In conclusion I am really sad to see Michael Wills leave at the end of this Parliament, even had he stayed I don’t think that he alone could have solved the national debt the Tory bankers have gotten us into.

A R PARTRIDGE Gays Place Upper Stratton Swindon