HOW nice of Blackburn with Darwen Council to welcome the evacuees of Montserrat with open arms, in the form of a special welcome committee and the benefits and housing agency on stand-by to cater for their every need.

I read recently of the same council campaigning for funds to build a hospital in India/Pakistan.

My heart goes out to all these needy people, but may we not forget that Blackburn and surrounding areas are a statistical blackspot for high unemployment, long NHS waiting lists and poor housing facilities.

Is it not time council chiefs thought a lot more about the people already in their constituencies and also the taxpayer who foots the bill for their kindness?

MR AND MRS J ASHCROFT, Ash Lane, Great Harwood.

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