WHAT a refreshing change to read Scott McCubbins's report on Blackburn.

Since Blackburn became an independent council we've read nothing but "excellent", "first class", "council of the decade" and all the rest of the codswallop we are expected to digest. What we live in is a dead hole. We live in "black bag" city.

The filth reported previously is still, like the rats, alive and kicking.

If anyone from Blackburn council would care to knock on my door I will show them what "grim" is. The fact a fuss is made of one building (Capita) shows how pathetic the town is.

Why would anybody want to disagree with Scott McCubbins is beyond me. The Lancashire Evening Telegraph's picture looks like a row of takeaways to me.

Shelters do smell of urine don't they? Church Street would have been devoid of people on Tuesday wouldn't it? Same again every other day come to that.

Graham Burgess, executive director of regeneration, says whoever wrote the article has never visited Blackburn, well I have, I have to, I'm stuck here and with the prices we can get for our houses, here I stay.

The property prices obviously reflect the desirability of the town -- rock bottom.

SAM SPENCE, Ribblesdale Place, Blackburn.