I WAS amused by the remarks of Phil Donnelly (Letters, August 16) which brought attention to the fact that North West Water has now become a laughing stock.

But where does he get the notion that the state of Arizona in the USA has the largest desert in the world? Although I cannot swear to it, I seem to recollect the whole of the USA would fit into the 3.5 million square miles of the Sahara Desert.

What I know for certain is that the 2,971,081 square miles of Australia would fit into the Sahara, with the 500,000 square miles of the Arabian Desert tucked in round the edges.

J P VERNON, Accrington Road, Blackburn.

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