ON January 3, I paid £199 cash to Comet stores in Blackburn for a year's subscription to ITV digital. Transmissions to the paid channels ceased on May 1, which means I have already paid £132.66 for eight months' transmissions I will not receive.

Paying by credit card one could probably claim the money back. Thousands of others who paid cash in advance obviously can't.

ITV Digital didn't go bust overnight. They must have known months previously what the situation was, yet they still advertised and encouraged people to sign up to their service. They knowingly took money from people like me, a pensioner, who enjoys watching TV and for whom money is tight.

The powers that be at ITV Digital should be forced to make retribution. Instead, they will no doubt be given large cash pay-offs and offers of work in similar capacities.

JAMES DEMPSEY, Fecitt Brow, Blackburn.