I WOULD like to know why the council has decided to cancel the visit to Burnley Mechanics of Bernard Manning (LET, May 6).

I wasn't aware that we had a board of censorship here. And why was he engaged in the first place?

The director of community and leisure services has a duty to provide the people of this town with popular artists, who will fill the theatre which belongs to us, not him. That's why we pay our council tax, and it's bums that are needed to fill seats to keep the Mechanics open -- and it is in the red anyway.

When Bernard was last in town, appearing at Club 53, he played to an enthusiastic, packed audience, with not one word of complaint. I thought that comedy was above politics anyway.

I think that the comedian has a good case to lodge against the council unless they can come up with a more valid reason than the politically-correct brigade have.

This is yet another nail in the side of Burnley Labour-dominated Council, proving yet again why they are so out of touch with the people of Burnley.

They should rectify the matter by allowing him to appear as the people should be allowed to judge for themselves at the box office.

BRIAN WATSON, Rosehill Road, Burnley.