I DO appreciate that in today's society we have a serious problem, more so than in the past decades, with the rising percentage of people with learning difficulties.

I welcome with open arms any form of special education to help these people, if possible, to become in their later years an asset to the community.

However, when I see the phrase behaviourally disturbed (comment from a Wigan Council spokesman, Journal, May 10), I shudder to think of the prospects of having these pupils in a school totally surrounded by residential properties and a wide variety of people residing in them.

Tyldesley has at present three other schools, and to my knowledge I am not aware that any of the pupils arrive and go home courtesy of the council.

How these people that have written to The Journal classing Tyldesley residents as 'small minded' and 'uncharitable' have the gall to continue stating that all but two shop keepers donated prizes for the Highfield fun day to enable them to give the children a 'well deserved' holiday at Euro Disney - charity is one thing, down right deception of the community is another.

I put it to Ms Stares and to the other lady, how would they feel if this type of school was to be located within 50 feet of their home, then as the old saying goes, let's see if 'charity begins at home' then.

J. Wilkinson

King William Street

Tyldesley

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