I WAS interested but not surprised to read of Roy Barraclough's attempts to launch an appeal to fund the redevelopment of a church.

Putting community facilities in a church - any church - is a road to disaster. If a church has fallen into disrepair then the 'community' obviously doesn't want it as a place of worship.

The trouble with these folk who believe in some mythical deity is that they aren't a 'full shilling', most should be sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

Permitting folk like this to organise community facilities is a sure-fire recipe for disaster.

Notice the reaction of most new housing estate residents - their first demands for community centres to be built do not have any religious connotations.

The last thing residents on estates usually demand is the building of a church - if they make such requests at all.

Mr Barraclough's support of such a fund or scheme is typical of the mentality of most people involved in the world of "performing arts" - lunacy!

E Sanderson, Preston

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.