I MUST protest in the strongest terms to your front page headlines on December 4 claiming the "scrooge" council has banned Christmas music in the markets. This is far from the truth as my comment tagged on to the end of the story illustrated.

What has actually happened is that we have asked one trader, who was playing music very loudly through inferior quality speakers on his stall, to turn off the noise after receiving complaints from fellow traders.

Our friendly markets have lots of festive cheer with Santa's grotto, hundreds of decorations, and Christmas tunes playing throughout. The markets office plays festive music over the PA system from 10am throughout the markets.

You would not expect individual concessions within a department store such as Debenhams to play music competing with the store's overall PA system and the situation is the same in the market.

Shoppers can see for themselves the wonderful seasonal atmosphere and bargains that we have to offer - despite your misleading headlines.

TERRY LONGDEN, Markets Manager, Blackburn with Darwen Council.

Editor's footnote: The word 'Scrooge' in the headline reflected the feeling of the trader Mr Whittaker who talked about a "lack of Christmas spirit" and for that reason the word was in quotation mark.