In the summer of 2003 I sent an identical letter to a dozen media (e.g. Guardian ), each time copying the letter to several ministers and MPs, including Mr Charles Kennedy, the then leader of the Liberal Democrats.

It led him to reply in his 22 August 2003 letter that he could not help me because I was "not one of his constituents".

Of course, he does not pick-up on my comments about the misleading and ineffectual remedies devised by government in relation to the leasehold system.

Over a year later, on 14 December 2004 , I wrote to Mr Kennedy, yet again highlighting the plight of leaseholders and challenging him to take-up the cause stating, among others:

"Leaseholders are a large, silent, suffering majority, scared to speak-up for fear of losing the sum total of their financial wealth: by not being able to sell their property.

I have opted to take the risk, partly out of despair, and partly because I am outraged by what has happened to me, considering that we are in the 21st century, in a country that calls itself 'civilised' and has signed up to the European Convention on Human Rights

Will you be the Party that takes up the challenge?"

I did not receive a reply.

Fair minded, reasonable visitor to the site, I give this experience as an example in support of my claim in the introduction to the site that " as a leaseholder there is absolutely nothing there to help me on this island"