ON a recent visit to Manchester I was surprised and pleased to find that the city had cleaned up its act.

New, interesting, innovative buildings and sculptures are in abundance. Clean, well sign-posted streets and a fine inner city transport are also to be found.

But what about one of Britain's newest cities, Preston? What do we find? Neat, well sculptured yellow speed cameras, beggars on every street corner, bins full to the brim, a sadly out-dated museum and an unreliable bus service and station that since privatisation is scruffy and totally inadequate.

Proud Preston? I don't think so!

John Gregson,

Duke Street, Bamber Bridge