HOW would it be if, because of continual shoplifting, a store only allowed people to enter under supervision?

Sadly, that's exactly the policy, in a driving sense, adopted by Hyndburn and Lancashire County councils.

The only way to drive around the Accrington area is to be 'supervised' by humps, bumps, mini-roundabouts, chicanes, extended footpaths, bollards, metal posts, red paint, white paint, green paint etc.

Responsible people feel insulted by these measures and many are starting to go elsewhere. It wouldn't be so bad if it addressed the real problem - that some drivers travel too fast in the wrong place.

Education, together with a firm law and order policy (using cameras) is the only way to deal with the situation.

You will not solve the problem by placing a hazard in the way of a driver who can't or won't deal correctly with a hazard! The idiots are still out there. It's just that they have less room to be idiots!

But our so-called leaders are punishing everybody without even recognising the real problem. There's no place in the whole of Britain like Hyndburn. It's more like a fairground and, I'm sorry to say, a laughing stock - unless you live here!

We all want to see fewer accidents, but the community also needs to survive in other ways. That comes from business and it needs arterial roads for travelling to and from the area. It's time that Hyndburn and Lancashire County councillors listened to the views of all people - not just a few of their own choosing.

Instead, all that comes across is arrogance and insult if one dares to disagree with what they are doing.

ADRIAN SHURMER, Lyndon Avenue, Great Harwood.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.