REGARDING the reply of Councillor David Smith (Letters, October 5) to my earlier remarks about new street lighting being installed in Blackburn centre while the crime-troubled area where I live gets none. I might not know how things are done at the town hall, but I don't have to.

I have representatives there who are supposed to represent me and the rest of the people who live in the Olive Lane area and are at the sticky end.

This newspaper has reported on quite a few occasions that properties have been broken into and cars are continually damaged. I don't think that we are asking too much to have decent street lighting in this day and age. There were three houses broken into only last week on lower Olive Lane, I am informed.

If Coun Smith and the rest of Darwen's representatives on the council think that installing new lights and laying new turf in Blackburn town centre is more important than street lighting in my area -- designated as deprived and a crime hot spot -- I think all of them should ask if they are doing the job that Darweners elected them to do.

Why don't they go and ask the home owners who were broken into how they think the council is doing?

ROY DAVIES, Olive Lane, Darwen.