MANY people in Blackburn have long felt sad and angry that so much of the town's building heritage was destroyed forever in the fifties and sixties.

Large parts of the central area fell victim to an ethos that said the old had to be swept aside at all costs in favour of the 'modern-looking.'

A few towns, often by accident rather than design, left buildings from the industrial revolution untouched until years later when exteriors were cleaned up and interiors refurbished so that, for example, a Victorian fire station frontage might contain a modern supermarket.

But Blackburn suffered badly. Demolished buildings could not be brought back.

Today the need to preserve the best of the old is widely recognised.

Even Network Rail seem to recognise the need to preserve the 117-year-old railway clocks they took down when work started to rebuild Blackburn Railway Station.

BUT rather than put at least one in the foyer of the station, when they have carefully kept the Victorian exterior intact, both are to be given to Manchester Piccadilly!

It is nothing short of scandalous that so little regard should be paid the borough.

It's incredible that no one at Network Rail cared enough to leave these pieces of Blackburn's history in Blackburn - or even anticipate the emotions their removal would raise.