WELL done Blackburn with Darwen Council for chopping off another piece of Blackburn's heritage the Lewis Textile Museum, which was reported as a "sad" day for the town.

Sad? It's downright disgusting. So far in the "moving on process" we have lost the old market clock that could have been salvaged, Thwaites Arcade, a 1930s-style cinema and more.

The platform clocks from our railway station are, I believe, somewhere in Manchester and our market is about to go again.

A letter to this paper a few weeks ago warned Darweners to beware of losing their heritage.

Sure enough the councillors in their infinite wisdom are to deface the entrance to Darwen Leisure Centre. Watch out Darweners, it will be your tower next.

Councillor Hollern's response was to say we don't have a hangman any more. No, we don't, thank God, nor do we have a knocker upper.' No other town nor city from Land's End to John O'Groats has a sense of belonging and passion for their home towns and an appreciation of their ancestors.

We could be a fantastic tourist attraction with our history.

We've already got a cathedral and a football stadium, beautiful parks and countryside, a working museum incorporating local artists, crafts, produce, education centre, restaurants, nature areas, play areas and barge trips along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

ELIZABETH BROGDEN, Peel Close, Blackburn.