OVER the last few weeks, we have heard people saying their areas are deprived. I am sorry to say people themselves make deprived areas.

As I walked along a street the other day, my mind went back to when I was young and used to walk along these same streets with my parents.

We walked that way because my parents pointed out the beautiful gardens of flowers and well-tended lawns and hedges.

But what do I see today? Gardens full of weeds, lawns with grass a foot high and, high, overgrown, uncut hedges and garden paths, unswept and full of rubbish and flaky paintwork on gates and window frames.

It is not the council's job to put all this right, it is the householders'.

The people who allow their areas to look like this have no pride in themselves or where they live and are forcing decent folk to live among, thus giving them a bad name.

H HAMER (Mrs), Lowther Place, Little Harwood, Blackburn.