I WAS a little surprised to read in Your Letters (May 30) that "Big Brother" MEPC had again banned charity collectors from the Mill Gate centre, particularly such a well known and responsible organisation as Bury district British Red Cross.

When Mill Gate opened, I was a member of a team of collectors selling poppies for the Royal British Legion when a cadet and myself were rudely told to leave the centre. Charity collectors were not allowed . . . even those trying to remember the relatives, friends and workmates who did not return from the war.

Later I received a very nice letter from the British Legion (Lieutenant Colonel Davidson) informing me how shocked he had been to learn of the incident. He told me of his plans to meet the management of Mill Gate. That meeting was a great success and I understand poppy sellers now have a place in the centre.

I hope that in the not-too-distant future a similar arrangement can be made for the British Red Cross committee.

W. E. WHITEHEAD,

Silchester Way, Breightmet, Bolton.

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