UNFORTUNATELY, Mrs I Thornley (Letters, December 1) must not be a regular reader of the Lancashire Evening Telegraph as she would have seen the articles and letters recently published about the Christmas decorations in Blackburn and Darwen.

These pointed out that the shopping centre lights, etc, are not provided or paid for by the council and that as a proportion of the council's £55,000 budget, Darwen actually gets more than its fair share.

Mrs Thornley is also incorrect about crime in Darwen town centre (which has actually decreased) and the numbers of police in Darwen (which have actually increased since 1997).

I do wish people would get their facts right before putting pen to paper. A simple phone call to their local councillors will usually help.

COUNCILLOR DAVE SMITH, (Sunnyhurst Ward), Avondale Road, Darwen.