For years, almost no-one in local government, let alone among the public, knew what a section 114 was. In the last two years, however, there has been a flurry of them, with more threatened in the next few months. They are highly damaging to a council's reputation, the more so because they are, wrongly, associated with bankruptcy.

So, it is worth asking some questions. Is the benefit of serving a s114 worth the drama, the disruption, the negative effect on the staff and on the council's citizens? Are there sufficient checks and balances on their use? And are they still appropriate for today's circumstances?