AS a resident of Heysham village for many years I must ask who was responsible for the chaos that was allowed to happen in the village on Easter Sunday.

I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong but yet again the Neighbourhood Council seems to have decided what the village needs, namely a car boot sale every two weeks throughout the summer.

If Easter Sunday is anything to go by it will mean nowhere to park within a bus ride of the village. On Sunday you could not park legally from 10am. Cars were even parked in the bus station and on the very dangerous bend on Crimewell Lane. The buses couldn't even get into the bus station and had many problems on the surrounding roads. Any resident of the village looking for an enjoyable day's holiday in the peace of their own home could forget it. Perhaps the Neighbourhood Council could tell the people of the village who benefit from these car boots and what is the NET profit given to the village after expenses etc? Could it be the only people who benefit are the dealers who are using car boots as a business very few of whom are, I imagine, registered for tax purposes as well as the handful of shop keepers in the village who are obviously very busy.

The police who were called to sort out the chaos, the residents and church goers - the majority - are not benefiting at all. Yes the field needs to be used so the council doesn't use it for building land but let's see something more imaginative by the entertainment's secretary of the council.

Years ago the village was a hive of activity but people came by 'charabanc' not by BMW by the hundred. Logistically you cannot park that number of cars in a small village.

Please do not repeat what we experienced on Easter Sunday every other weekend. Otherwise, what have residents of Heysham village to look forward to all summer? I ask the Neighbourhood Council through your newspaper to listen to the village community, not to their own egos. When will they stop and listen - when the village becomes another West of End of Morecambe?

Old Timer, Heysham

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