I WRITE as a former Bury resident who has just made his first visit to the town in 15 years.

Whilst much in Bury has changed for the better - for example the Mill Gate centre and the many retail parks which have replaced run-down areas - all these improvements are let down by the filthy state of the town. What has become of my beloved Bury? I was amazed at how dirty the place was.

Unlike other towns where I have lived, the litter in Bury isn't isolated, it is everywhere: the town centre, the car parks at Wilkinson's and the Mosses, residential areas, public parks, even council buildings (ie. Castle Leisure Centre).

In the past 15 years I have lived in towns in the South and Midlands, and I have travelled extensively. Nowhere have I seen anything to compare with the state of Bury. People elsewhere wouldn't put up with this sort of thing. So why do the public of Bury accept second-best?

The people of Bury and their elected councillors need to pull up their socks and move into the next century with a town to be proud of and a place which I could be proud to call my home town.

DUNCAN MORRIS,

Leamington Spa,

Warwickshire.

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