IN response to Councillor Alan Cottam’s statement (LT, January 25) regarding clearance of the ice and snow from footpaths, his attitude towards us, the general public, is totally unacceptable.

This is not the first insensitive outburst and I very much doubt it will be his last.

OK, there is a point to some degree whereby we the public should take responsibility and clear some parts of our living and working areas.

But a sizeable proportion should be down to the council to keep commerce and industry, and emergency services on the move.

Excuse me if I am being naive but isn’t this what we pay part of our council tax for? I was in Burnley during the worst of the weather and saw a team of council workers in and around the town checking the worst pavement areas, then clearing and salting them. So why wasn’t this procedure adopted in Blackburn? It appears to me from this, and other comments made by Coun Cottam – ie the recent debacle with the Railway Road closure and pensioners’ rights to free travel – that we don’t have the right person in this position of responsibility regarding the welfare of Blackburn.

B A HAMMOND, Feniscowles.