SIR,

Last week I had reason to visit our local museum and was shocked and saddened at its appearance. Apart from the Nelson exhibits and a few paintings it looked run down and empty.

The lounge room behind the desk usually at this time of the year has all sorts of exhibitions to attract and delight the many visitors to our town.

We have all been told that Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) plan to move the museum to the Shire Hall to save money, also to move the One Stop Shop to the Rolls Hall, then they intend to sell the building, a big mistake.

Eleven years ago MCC, at huge expense to the tax payer, moved the council offices from the Rolls Hall to Priory Street because it would be "much more convenient for residents to access," now they are moving it back, what bright spark thought of that?

Are there other towns in the country being robbed as Monmouth is?

We are being downsized to the point of shutting the town altogether. The Nelson collection and museum are of national and international importance and instead of running it down then moving it, MCC should be expanding it to include an exhibition of the fantastic finds of our wonderful archaeologists that tell the story of our town.

The market hall is the perfect place for our museum and the One Stop Shop so leave it alone MCC and make your savings somewhere else, we have lost enough of our amenities in this town.

Sue Chivers

(Monmouth)