HATS off to Councillor Ashley Whalley and his planning cronies. As he sagely predicted, the various roadworks that have blighted every approach into Blackburn town centre for the past few months have all been completed in good time for Christmas and the traffic is once again moving freely around the new and improved road network.

I don't think so Councillor Whalley.

Is it me, or is my daily journey into Blackburn town centre still taking 20 minutes more than it did previously?

I for one am really enjoying the daily "lane change lottery" on Bolton Road when hundreds of motorists gleefully take their turn to select which individual lane will be navigable to four-wheeled vehicles each morning.

As far as I can see, it doesn't appear that any of the roadworks that Coun Whalley assured us would be finished in time for Christmas are anywhere near complete.

Perhaps I could be mistaken. Maybe the thousands of red and white conical objects placed at the roadside along every major route into the town centre could be the council's latest attempt at street art/squandering taxpayers' money.

They could be new Christmas decorations designed to draw shoppers into the town centre.

Come on, Coun Whalley, why the sudden silence on the progress of these much-vaunted traffic developments?

Please explain why these works are not going to be completed by Christmas, as you previously assured us.

TREVOR FISHWICK, Lamlash Road, Blackburn.