THERE are strong rumours that some of the Labour councillors who lost their seats last May in Hyndburn are searching for safe seats.

But bearing in mind the public's disillusionment with their party's record, since they took control 13 years ago, making a comeback may well turn out to be harder than they think.

When they started, Accrington had such things as a thriving market, a bright and cheerful town centre packed at weekends with visitors, Broadway Chambers, meals on wheels, and local parks which were generally a delight to walk but are now little short of disaster areas.

Hyndburn is now apparently the 43rd worst council for rent collection, with staggering arrears of £500,000 and, yet, we still hear about wishes to spend a colossal sum of around £6 million, providing we can get a grant for a small part, on new council offices, in spite of the fact that they have already "moved house" once, from the former "Cardboard Castle" to the Skill Centre.

Our road system is so complicated that navigation is a nightmare for visitors and one wonders if a suitable tourist attraction might not be a camel ride round all the humps?

With this abysmal record, there can be few safe Labour seats - which will be confirmed at the next local elections on May 6.

GRANVILLE BROADHURST, Sharples Street, Accrington.

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