YOU reported (LET, March 8) that, because of social deprivation and low wages, children born in Blackburn and Darwen are destined to be losers in life.

I am sorry, but I don't agree totally with this. There are some genuinely poor cases, but what happened to good, old fashioned parent craft?

Mums can buy cheap cuts of meat - liver for instance. There is cheap fish and fruit about. But, no, they can't be bothered to cook, or don't know how. It's all junk food and takeaways which are expensive.

Then there are the child accidents: What's wrong with watching your children to make sure they don't come to any harm?

Then there are schoolgirl mums: Why can't parents advise them how not to become pregnant? Also, contraception has never been easier. Then there is crime: Here again it is up to the parents to guide the child away from this and take note of what they are up to.

It all boils down to sheer laziness on the part of the parents.

As for underweight babies, how many mums are smoking and drinking instead of having a good diet? I am sure many a pensioner would welcome less than the £350 a week which is supposed to be a low wage for this area.

How does a pensioner manage on £64.70 a week? It's an insult.

And, yes, I am a mum and I also know of people who were children from poor working class families from this town who became wealthy in their own right.

H HAMER, Lowther Place, Little Harwood, Blackburn.

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