ISEE I must teach Councillor Ashley Whalley (LET, March 16) a lesson in regeneration. To quote Ken Livingstone, "a dirty unkempt city can have adverse effects on inward investment" and "litter and a general sense of squalor and filth can deter Londoners, visitors and business."

I listen to what people tell me: a lady walking by the canal who has moved recently from Skipton and countless people born and bred in Blackburn have described the borough under the Labour administration as the dirtiest town in the UK.

The LET failed to explain the photograph with the above report. This was a road closed by the council, with a pavement one end and a small garden the other side. Now, they call it unadopted and refuse to clear it of refuse.

Let me be fair to Coun Whalley, he has spent our money on mechanical sweepers, but they cannot be used over pavements with uneven flags or manhole covers.

Coun Whalley tried to make out that I am anti-culture. He has chosen the wrong person. I am the only councillor to attend meetings of Blackburn with Darwen Council Arts Council in the past year. I have written widely on medical aspects of Art and enjoy good music.

The town, Coun Whalley, is bulging with rubbish. Let this not be your epitaph.

COUN EDMUND CRITCHLEY (Liberal Democrat), Merlin Road, Blackburn.