I SUPPORT Arthur Holmes (Letters, January 19) and Coun Don Rishton (Letters, January 31) in their comments on the Capita group's takeover of Blackburn council services.

Mr Holmes mentioned Capita's 'very bumpy ride' at Lambeth. The group's involvement in a certain other bumpy ride is even more instructive.

In 1999, Capita contracted to Railtrack to set up an agency called 'Sentinel' or 'National Competence Control agency.' According to the Capita website, the agency would "control and monitor the competence of safety critical personnel working on the UK rail infrastructure" and "manage the contractors who employ those personnel and the training companies that train them."

When I downloaded this information earlier this month, Capita were pleased to announce that the scheme had won a prize for "Most Significant Contribution to Safety On Britain's Railways" at the National Rail Awards 2000 and, in partnership with Railtrack, they intended to sell it wherever "competence management is important."

Meanwhile, back at the railway, we know what actually happened. After the Hatfield rail disaster on October 17, 2000, there followed the discovery of more than 3,000 faulty rails around the country with consequent line closures and speed restrictions inflicting purgatory on travellers.

My point is not to blame Capita for the situation that led to Hatfield. That would be difficult because the two seem to belong to entirely different worlds. In the parallel universe inhabited by Capita everything was for the best. The National Competence Control Agency Sentinel was beavering away "monitoring and controlling" the "safety critical personnel" making sure they all met the "rigorous standards set by Railtrack."

But in the real world a 100mph express was hurtling towards a stretch of fissured, crumbling track that had been known about for almost a year. With fatal results.

It seems that Blackburn's New Labour politburo yearn for that parallel universe offered by Capita where there are no bad situations, only bad publicity. Capita has sold them the dream of "continuous improvement in services."

Our civic leaders should close their ears to siren songs and tell chief officers to stop playing footsy with Capita. They should get on with managing their own departments rather than raising dividends for Capita shareholders.

The arguments of Mr Holmes and Coun Rishton deserve serious public discussion. Council leader Malcolm Doherty should accept the challenge to a public debate in the pages of your newspaper.

NEIL JACKSON, Brownhill Road, Blackburn.