THE return of Robert Heseltine to local politics has been greeted with a mixture of dismay and delight. For some councillors it has caused great anxiety. Old political wounds have been reopened.

Yet no-one should be too surprised at his rather convincing return to the local political arena.

Mr Heseltine is the man who, after receiving complaints of rubbish dumped on the Greatwood estate, urged the council to do something about it. He delivered an ultimatum: Move it by a certain date or I will deliver it to the steps of the council offices.

The rubbish was not moved and Mr Heseltine carried out his threat - after, of course, tipping off our photographer for maximum public effect. That earned him opprobrium in the council chamber but on the streets cemented his reputation as a man of action.

There then followed his arrest and conviction for fiddling his national park expenses - from a man who had always refused to claim a penny he was entitled to from Craven. Quite rightly he was punished and lost his seat on both North Yorkshire and Craven District Councils. Normally that would have been the end of it, a fraudulent councillor consigned to the footnote of history.

Yet Coun Heseltine is back - and there is talk of boycotts, walkouts and refusals to co-operate. That would be an insult to the electors of Skipton South. The fact is that he has been democratically elected and has a strong mandate from his ward. However unpalatable it might be to some, the electorate has spoken.