Angela Tilby’s article (“Oxford through the looking glass”, 5 February) should make “Hell’s foundations quiver” at Christ Church.

As an alumnus involved in the four-year civil war as a supporter of Dean Martyn Percy I thought I knew most of the details. Not so. I was shocked by Angela Tilby’s revelations of the ruthlessness of the group of controlling Censors and ex-Censors now immortalised by The Tablet as “the Tribal Elders”.

The day after your article appeared, the settlement between the Dean and the college was announced. Insiders knew that this was achieved only after heavy pressure applied by Oxford University’s chancellor and vice-chancellor and by the Charity Commission (CC). One Censor vilified the CC as “that branch of the Martyn Percy Supporters Club”. An unwise description of the college’s ultimate regulator, which still has much unfinished business to sort out. Some of the business involves money. Christ Church has blown £20m of its charitable funds on legal and PR fees (£6m), lost donations and legacies (£12m) and £2m on the Dean’s compensation settlement and repayment of his legal fees.