FOR some months now, I have been irritated with Blackburn Council which seems hell-bent on making life difficult for anyone wishing to use the town's facilities, be it for travel or shopping.

On several occasions, it has been necessary for me to either deliver or collect a passenger from the railway station. In spite of the lack of parking provision since the police office arrived on the site, it is possible to drop off a passenger without too much hassle in front of the railway station.

Collecting a passenger, however, is much more difficult, given that trains do not always run exactly to time and the nearest convenient parking is not only out of sight of the passenger but also subject to a parking charge -- even for the sake of two or three minutes.

My irritation reached breaking point the other day when I was required to pay £1 for the privilege of parking on the street in order to transact a few minutes' business at my building society and collect an item from a shop in the precinct.

For me, the solution is simple -- my building society and banking transactions will in future be carried out in Clitheroe. I will use the chain stores in Preston or Bolton instead of Blackburn where parking is either free for short-term or there is considerably better value for long-term parking.

Blackburn's retailers need all the support they can get from the people living in the area. It is a shame that the council seems to be doing its utmost to frustrate this.

BRENDA REDHEAD (Mrs), Knowsley Road West, Clayton-le-Dale, Blackburn.