RETIRED social worker, Mary Sissons, writing in the Daily Echo (letters 6 October) said I should acknowledge the facts surrounding Southampton City Council’s Children’s Services Ofsted inspection.

She alleges that I told the BBC that Southampton’s Children’s Services should reach “satisfactory” in three to nine months. This is inaccurate. I said we should monitor progress before the target set by the city council of 18 months and that should be in three or six or nine months.

Incidentally, the director of children’s services in a later bulletin agreed with that suggestion.

Ms Sissons also said I failed to mention that I was the leader of the council from 2006 until 2012.

That is because I wasn’t. I was leader from 2010 until 2012. In fact, the Liberal Democrats were running the council in 2006.

I understand that Ms Sissons may not agree with me or even like me. But to attack my integrity by saying I failed to acknowledge the facts when her interpretation of the facts is so far wide of the mark is a little underhand.

ROYSTON SMITH, leader of the Conservative Group, Southampton City Council.