SO Blackburn with Darwen Council executive director Graham Burgess (Letters, January 10) thinks that the council provides a high standard of gritting during the winter months. Come into the real world.

On the Thursday after Boxing Day I left Lammack at 7.50am going on to Quebec Road, St Lawrence Avenue and Whinney Lane -- which had had no gritting by then, although it is a bus route.

Then I went on to the dual carriageway to Brownhill and over to Whitebirk and then on the M65 to the Dunkenhalgh turn-off -- no tell-tale signs of gritting over that stretch of road.

I dropped my wife off in Altham and returned to the motorway heading east towards Burnley -- still no sign of gritting. Then, to my amazement, just after passing the turnoff for Halifax, the motorway and the hard shoulder were completely free of snow! I wonder why.

I continued my snow and ice-free journey to Nelson and came off the motorway at junction 13 and drove into Nelson, where again all the main roads were very wet and clear of all snow and slush. Why?

I think that Mr Burgess should consult Pendle Council as to how they always keep the roads clear of snow and ice (Clue -- they seem to be gritting for many days before the event -- not after).

Blackburn town centre/shopping precinct from Marks and Spencers to Debenhams on Saturday morning was like a skating rink. That area should have been cleared well before then.

Perhaps Mr Burgess should get the facts together and publish them, giving details of what roads were actually gritted, at what time and what percentage of staffing was available to do the job.

J EVANS, Manitoba Close, Lammack, Blackburn.