REGARDING your article 'Council slated as big freeze affects surgery' (LET, January 7), once again Councillor Ashley Whalley, Blackburn with Darwen Council's executive member for regeneration, makes lame excuses for anything that goes wrong under his control -- the latest being the gritting during the recent severe weather.

He claims that the fact that the refuse collectors' vehicles got through to empty our bins showed the gritting was a success, but fails to mention that the grit wagons preceded them by perhaps a couple of hours, therefore making most side streets and roads clear for them.

But the gritters were there only for the bin men, not for the convenience of the public at large, for numerous requests for gritting were made by members before the refuse collectors were out, only for them to be ignored.

P NEWTON (Mr), Ashworth Close, Blackburn.