THE great mink debate gathers pace. Over the past several weeks the likelihood of these vicious little beasts inhabiting the undergrowth of Carr Mill Dam has been chewed over by a surprising number of customers of this column.

Some have claimed that these 'fur-coat creatures' are in hiding there, as descendants of escapees from a 1960s mink farm. Others I've discussed the matter with say it's a load of poppycock!

But now, the balance of opinion has certainly swung towards wild mink existence being a distinct possibility. For a start, a local angling official recently reported that a number of mink have been caught by an outflow from the dam.

And now this is backed by a letter from K. Cross of Wyedale Avenue, Haydock, who worked at the old mink farm on Moss Bank Road, less than a mile away from the dam.

He writes: "I know that a number of the mink did escape as I worked there from 1963 to 1965 after leaving school."

And he adds: "The place was owned by Mr and Mrs Hardman and it was primarily a chicken farm. We also delivered milk around Carr Mill, Clinkham Wood and Moss Bank."

Another project was the breeding of chinchillas, although this apparently proved short-lived.

Because of ill-health, farmer Hardman handed over the mink enterprise to his son-in-law, Maurice Platt.

Though there is no trace of them any more, the Hardman farm had two large broiler sheds, each capable of housing 6,000 chickens. There was also a battery-hen outlet.

"Maurice built a house at the bottom of the farm which is now 52 Broad Lane," adds our Haydock correspondent. "I used to live in Troutbeck Grove. Our rear garden backed on to Maurice's house and I could cut through to get to work.

"I left Moss Bank in 1969, the milk round having been taken over by then," he says, "I don't know whether the mink were still there at that time." But he does know for certain that a number of them escaped.

And a lady reader from Orrell also picks up on what has proved a most fascinating topic. Elizabeth P. Miller, a former Moss Bank resident, remembers the odours that drifted on the air when the wind was "in the wrong direction." These emanated from fish-meal feeding stuff and from the animals themselves.

The mink farm could possibly have existed into the 1970s, she ventures. "Mr Hardman had bought the farm from Edward Abbott, a 'mixed' farmer with both cattle and vegetable crops on his land."

The same Abbott family had further farms in Birchley and Billinge, adds Elizabeth who has also picked up fully on the recent Moss Bank 'castle' topic, all of which will be revealed on this ancient page soon.

MEANTIME my thanks to all who shed further light on the mink farm topic.