YOUR 'On This Day' feature headed 'Mural causes a stir' (LET, May 8) reminded us of the apparent jiggery pokery that was rife in Blackburn town hall 10 years ago, similar to the regime of Councillor Derek Hatton at Liverpool Council.

Councillor Peter Holmes had quite rightly demanded an inquiry into a veiled threat made to the Lancashire Evening Telegraph when it tried to breach the cloak of secrecy surrounding the cover-up of an offensive anti-Thatcher mural on a council-owned youth centre wall.

Town hall spokeswoman Lindsay McDonald had warned the Evening Telegraph that things could 'get nasty' if photographs were taken of the publicly-funded mural.

This was typical example of our shameful public relations administration and there has been no indication that the arrogant, cavalier attitude has yet been eradicated, especially amid the recent allegations of council decisions being controlled by a minority in secret.

What has happened to open debate and democracy?

J A MARSDEN, Scarborough Road, Blackburn.

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