ON Tuesday, April 2, I telephoned the main office of Lancashire County Council. There was an answerphone message, stating that the council would be back in action 'tomorrow!'

Would this be the same council, which is pleading poverty with their overwhelming sympathy for the soon-to-be-displaced older generation from LCC care homes? Was Tuesday a paid holiday for the majority of Council Tax payers? The answer is: 'No.'

The council is now about to use schoolchildren in their drive to discover shops are selling smoking materials to people under 16.

Obviously, the mandarins of County Hall are so out of touch with the electorate that they believe the people of Lancashire would rather have thousands of pounds wasted on what is a never-ending 'supply/demand' market for tobacco than sorting out the inequalities of us lesser mortals who cannot afford to travel to the Continent once or twice a month.

Finances would be much better spent, were the council to pursue the shortage of NHS dentists, road repairs (as opposed to traffic-strangulation) and the police on the beat.

H ROBINSON (Mr), Juniper Court, Woodside Road,

Accrington.