IT beggars belief that anyone can even imagine that the grotesque rise of 17 per cent in Blackburn's council tax is down to the Government.

One has only to look at the surrounding Labour-controlled authorities whose increases average six to seven per cent. Are the Tories to blame for that?

Blackburn's increase is four times that of the notorious Labour-run Liverpool.

Maybe, then, John Milburn (Letters, March 29) can explain why he thinks there has been no "so-called mismanagement" by the ruling Labour Council in Blackburn and Darwen.

Just look at their favourite species, the council tenants. They owe £1.5 million in rent arrears. Each year they receive half the capital investment in housing - that equates to 50 per cent of the money being spent on 20 per cent of the town's houses.

There are 14,000 weeks' rent lost through 'voids.' And yet private sector experts are being brought in to advise the council how to find tenants for 400 houses when they have thousands on the waiting list.

WALT MEADOWS, Whalley New Road, Blackburn.

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