RE the suspension threat faced by Durham county councillor John Shuttleworth, since cleared of breaching a code of conduct by not treating a health chief with respect (Echo, May 9 and 10).

I support Coun Shuttleworth's remarks about the ambulance service 100 per cent. He works hard for us up the dale and I fully support him in the way he took on the Durham Dales Primary Care Trust which tried to bulldoze through plans for an ambulance to be based at Stanhope instead of St John's Chapel. Hooray for people like John Shuttleworth.

C Ian Humble, Cowshill in Weardale, Bishop Auckland, Co Durham.