IN response to his remarks (Letters, January 11) it may come as a surprise to Mr Dick Davidson, but the children of Darwen no longer go running out into the streets bare-footed when one of the shiny, new Blackburn buses goes by.

Blackburn buses come to Darwen for only one reason -- to fill the bus in an attempt to make more profit. And they know that, to a point, they are on a very good number for the very simple reason that, with very little opposition in Darwen shopping centre against Blackburn shopping centre, their buses will be full.

Mr Davidson says Blackburn Council does not control Blackburn Transport's buses, but they did when Blackburn took over Darwen's buses, so why were they not subsequently called Blackburn with Darwen buses?

He also says that he travelled to Darwen several times over the Christmas and New Year period and that the roads in Darwen were comparable to those in Blackburn. Does this mean that both routes were a mess?

If he travelled to Darwen several times through this period, there is a strong possibility that he moved more snow and ice off the road than the council gritters and snow ploughs did.

Mr Davidson adds that there are now agencies working to improve relationships with the Darweners. I suggest that the only agency that Blackburn Council needs is a Pinkerton agency to try to get back the £1 million that it has just written off and which would have gone a long way to making Darwen town centre a better place.

What has Darwen shopping centre got to offer to residents at present? No good shoe shops, nowhere to buy a suit at a reasonable price, nowhere for a woman to buy any decent undergarments measured and fit.

So while we have got a new Sainsbury's, what have we lost since control went to Blackburn? Let's see -- Woolworths, Bensons, Greenwoods and all the little shops that nobody noticed had gone, such as the fish market and half of the old market that is no longer in use.

It may be a good idea to change Blackburn's name itself to Regeneration, because any time regeneration is talked about at Blackburn Town Hall, it is Blackburn's town centre that is discussed.

I admit that Mr Davidson is right about one thing -- that is it is time that Darweners should stand up and be counted.

Mr Davidson says Darwen is in a sad state of decline, but at one time it was a nice, tidy little town. Now, just let me try to remember when this decline actually started -- oh yes, it was just a week before Blackburn took over.

ROY DAVIES, Olive Lane, Darwen.