MIDDLESBROUGH COUNCIL has £34m in reserve, some of it presumably to be used to cope with emergencies in our town.

On behalf of MICA, the Middlesbrough Independent Councillors Association, Councillor Brian Hubbard suggested to the mayor that some of that money be released and used in a way which will help ease the current situation for some residents.

The mayor’s response was that he is not inclined to do so at the moment and Councillor Carolyn Dodds agreed with him.

This town has never ever experienced anything like this and please God we never do so again, but some of that money ought to be used to help people, it was given to the town, not to any individual mayor.

I would also like to see the Government, with the help of local authorities, donate funds to hospital staff, without whom we could not survive this.

It could even be in the form of vouchers to be used for a holiday, we all know they will need one eventually.

Councillor Joan McTigue, Beechwood, Longlands, Grove Hill, Saltersgill, Sutton & Holmwood