Every day I grow a little more disillusioned with politicians, local and national. Our national politicians have the brass neck to presume they can tell other nations how to run their affairs and sort out their problems. Even try to achieve complete regime changes.

How can they do this when they can’t even sort out problems in their own backyard? In Darwen we have councillors, whose intentions may be good, but who do not seem to have a grip on the real world.

We have had Roy Davies who expressed amazement when an address in his Darwen ward was found to be dealing class A drugs. I’m no expert but most people in Darwen know there is a problem. Is he naive or deliberately trying to pull the wool over our eyes?

Then we have Karimeh Foster, who “lobbied the town hall on behalf of the residents” in order to get some grass cut. What would we do without you?

Now it’s Dave Hollings turn, suggesting that the Brookside pub should be kept as a pub. Mr Hollings, pubs are going out of business daily. Have you not noticed and have you no idea why?

I must also mention the new Darwen Council which owes its existence to maybe lazy or maybe disillusioned voters who did not turn out to vote against it. They are already into the party political bickering.

Are we bothered about Darwen getting its mayoral chains back, are we bothered where they hold their meetings, are we bothered if they have a mayor or chairman? I think the answer is no.

What are we bothered about? People are fed up of political spin and living for the moment. What-ever the problem – rats, roads or robbers – we want the authorities to stop worrying about upsetting people who act in an anti-social way and start worrying about the people being affected by them.

Human rights are a big issue, and so they should be, but in a world of limited resources the balance is tipped in the wrong direction.

Our family suffered a tragedy on 5th July so I’m intent on rattling a few politicians’ cages. We can start by backing any campaign to make the town centre a safer place for our young people?

Ged Johnson, Darwen.