YOUR article 'Report blasts council' (LET, April 23) did not surprise me.

The proposed supermarket in Great Harwood has not yet passed the planning stage, and as the issues raised by business consultant Philip Congdon's report revealed glaring omissions from the reports prepared for Hyndburn Council, one would have thought that, while they may not like to receive anything which contradicted their proposals, nevertheless, they should at least consider them when the committee meets, instead of dishing out the sort of treatment which is all too frequent these days.

It is, of course, a complete coincidence that the Labour leader is seeking re-election on May 6 and the arrival of a roadshow from the supermarket chain must have come as a complete surprise to him. At least, that is what one may well have thought, if one didn't know what had happened at the display in the town library, when a senior member of the council staff removed the contra report from display, supported by large numbers of staff and others.

It is also singularly unfortunate that, when one lady went into the library and asked to read a copy of the report, it was refused, in spite of a repeated request. The lady was then asked who she was and where she came from, which caused her to leave the library very annoyed.

Walking towards her home, she saw that she had a 'tail' and once this had caught up, she was again asked who she was and where she came from, and went into a shop to escape.

On coming out, she saw her 'tail' go into the same shop to make inquiries, and this was repeated at two others. This sort of treatment is absolutely outrageous and reminds one of what used to happen in Nazi Germany.

GRANVILLE BROADHURST, Sharples Street, Accrington.

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