SIR – I personally feel a good number of works of art, including Hockney’s, are over-valued, but this has no bearing on how I feel about the prospect of the Council selling off its collection.

If Hockney did not donate his works of art to Bradford and our taxes were used to buy them, then his opinion on the matter is no better than that of the people of Bradford. After all, he paints to make a living and what purchasers do with his paintings, legally, is no concern of his.

Labour councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, one of those responsible for culture, says ‘the valuation could have looked at the most expensive items first’ but they might not have, and it is for her executive to know the true valuation and update it regularly, for insurance purposes.

And how dare she complain about the other parties wanting to sell off the family silver when her former leader sold off our gold reserves when the market was at its lowest?

Philip Bird, Nab Wood Terrace, Shipley