REGARDING Walt Meadows blaming council tenants for the council tax increase (Letters, April 11), I strongly object to being referred to as one of the Labour Party's "favourite species."

I have lived in this same flat for 30 years and have not owed a penny in all that time, despite not getting any housing benefit.

The same goes for a lot of my neighbours and relatives who also belong to this "species."

Because he is so bigoted towards council tenants, I suppose it is too much to ask for an apology.

Of course, I do not believe that everything the council does is right - for instance, the Roman Road estate which should never have been put up in the first place.

The plan to "upgrade" it is a waste of money. It will just be the same again, with the same class of tenants being put back.

But the council has made great efforts to improve the estate where I live, with, among other things, lawn mowing, bin emptying and road sweeping being done regularly.

A NUTTALL (MRS), Stonyhurst Road, Blackburn.

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