REGARDING the comments by Councillor Paul Browne about employees of Blackburn with Darwen Council receiving £10 shopping vouchers as a 'thank you' for their work to gain the Council of the Year award (LET, January 28), how mean-minded can you get? I'm appalled!

I have worked for local government around the UK for many years and know only too well the hoops many council staff jump through to make sure services are delivered as well as possible and often rallying around the demands from councillors.

For a council to show appreciation at all is amazing (I worked for a former Council of the Year and got zilch), but, surely, this is a very modest, but meaningful gesture.

Yes, £60,000 could be spent on other things and yes, Councillor Browne, the staff get paid to do a job. But let's be clear, they don't get paid very well and the effort put into initiatives like Council of the Year and the modernisation of local government are often above and beyond what officers are paid for.

OK, you spend £60,000 on cleaning the streets -- why? The local population seem totally unable to stop dropping litter and cleaning up after their dogs? Speed humps for what? Because drivers can't see the sense in slowing down? Or goodness knows how much money on bizarre and, frankly, horrendous schemes like the new street 'improvements' in Blackburn?

I've worked on many projects like these over the years and litter/dog mess clearance is a waste of time and money. Traffic calming is pointless because no-one takes a blind bit of notice of it.

I've worked on street-improvement schemes for many years and the Blackburn one is the worst I've seen. Is that a sensible way to spend money? I think not!

I applaud the council for this small gesture of appreciation -- OK, so it's public money, but who says it's wrong for public servants to be 'patted on the back' for a change? If you want to deliver good-quality services, you have to start treating staff well.

It's good management practice. Blackburn with Darwen Council has changed so much in the 10 years I have lived in the borough and who do you think has achieved that, Councillor Browne, the councillors? Oh yes, it's a team effort between officers and councillors? I don't think so! I know it's the sheer hard work of the council officers!

Council officers often come in for criticism about their attitudes; being unapproachable, etc. There are many disillusioned officers in councils and is it any wonder? Many are fed up with being expected to do more and more for less and less, so a small token like this can go a long way to boosting morale and pride.

LINDA JOSEPH, Richmond Terrace, Darwen.