REGARDING the council's action in prosecuting five traders in Blackburn for placing displays and A-boards promoting their business on the pavements, I spoke to Mr David Wilson, who runs a craft shop in Lower Cockcroft, and he told me that he placed his A-board against a bollard, so as not to interfere with pedestrians.

This bollard is set away off the main thoroughfare of Northgate and interferes with no one.

He needs this board to attract people into his shop or he will go out of business. His is only one of hundreds of small shops fighting to survive.

The president of the Chamber of Trade and I met council leader Malcolm Doherty and put to him certain proposals to overcome this problem - the size and quality of A-boards, the size of displays in relation to width of the pavement, etc.

In fact, it was a full discussion, one which, in my opinion, should have taken place with the traders before any action was taken.

Councillor Doherty said he would discuss the proposals with the officers and come back to us with an answer. That was over two months ago and we are still waiting, even after repeated requests for an answer.

The Mayor, Coun Peter Greenwood, was right when he said this town is in the control of a few certain councillors.

RON O'KEEFE (Vice-President, Blackburn Chamber of Trade), East Park Road, Blackburn.

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