WINTER draws on, and with it come the hazards of ice and snow.

We attend to our pipes and the heating to prevent bursts and we have already been advised about keeping anti-freeze at strength, the battery fully changed, and the tyres legal.

But what of those things beyond our control? The council are pretty good at gritting in anticipation of the roads getting icy, and the town pavements are usually kept clear of the snow.

However, the same cannot be said of the Hardshaw Centre car park. There are, and have been for ages, hollows which make puddles when it rains and a drop in temperature turns these into mini-ice-rinks, dangerous for the able-bodied but even more so for the disabled. The parking bay for them, especially, is lethal when freezing conditions occur.

The car park is the responsibility of the local authority and the fees collected by the car park attendants go to the authority. The car park should be dealt with on the same basis as are the roads.

Unfortunately, the height restriction imposed to keep out tall vehicles, precludes the use of a gritting lorry to do the job. I fail to see why a couple of men with a bin of grit and a shovel apiece cannot be directed to car park duty, preferably before workers and shoppers start arriving.

I write as a result of experiences. Last year I had to use a de-icer on the ground in order to get out of the car safely so as to help my elderly disabled passenger to do likewise.

Come on St Helens, your reputation is on the line. In the meantime, my de-icer is at the ready - and my camera!

Concerned motorist, Prescot (full name and address supplied).

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.