THE failure to be awarded city status must for Blackburn and Darwen Council be very disappointing, compounded by the fact that Preston has achieved the much sought-after honour.

With five cities within the historic county of Lancashire, it would seem that Blackburn's chances of becoming a city are very slight now.

On a more optimistic note, however, and something that should be considered is the fact that Blackburn is virtually unique since it remains a town and yet it has at its heart a very noble cathedral, once considered to be an essential element for any town seeking city status.

Perhaps the council should look at making this distinction known -- the fact that Blackburn is no ordinary town but a cathedral town, one of only two in the country: something that all the new cities created both for the Golden Jubilee and Millennium, certainly those in Great Britain, do not have.

Perhaps signs into the centre of Blackburn such as the one on Bolton Road, Nova Scotia, should be adjusted to read 'Blackburn -- The Cathedral Town' so that visitors realise that this is not just another town.

I realise that this is little consolation to those who have spent time and energy in putting together the last three bids, but I feel that it would show that Blackburn stands apart from other towns and cities in the country.

ANDREW TAYLOR, Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn.