WITH reference to the article (LET, April 11) on the traveller problem which we are having in Oswaldtwistle, I sent a press release on the subject to your paper on April 8 but at no time did I refer to these people as gypsies, as the article intimates.

As you are no doubt aware, there is a big difference between travellers and gypsies - so much so that I had a number of complaints from local people who thought that it was my terminology that was used in the article, though it wasn't.

I realise that a certain amount of journalistic licence is used in covering a story such as this and the term 'gypsy' is probably a better headline grabber than 'traveller.' But it is a term that I would not want to be linked with in any of my statements.

COUN PETER BRITCLIFFE, (St Andrew's Ward, Hyndburn Council), New Lane, Oswaldtwistle.

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