I RECENTLY went shopping to Preston and Bolton and was very impressed.

There were well-known shops stocking everything one wants, attractive markets with few empty stalls, well-designed, very clean shopping malls and, in Bolton, a large fish market selling a large variety of Fish.

I didn't see any sign of botched-up buildings or junk art, not to mention dangerous large stone boulders or ridiculous steel bars like those in Church Street, Blackburn.

Is there no-one on Blackburn Council with a sense of taste? Goodness knows what will appear when the 'wigwams' in Church Street are removed.

Blackburn will never gain city status unless it gets its act together once and for all.

Nor will quality traders want to come here or people from other towns visit Blackburn. We will just see an increase in the 'penny bazaars' that are springing up.

H HAMER (Mr), Lowther Place, Blackburn.