IT now appears certain that the proposed merger of Lancashire and Cumbria constabularies will take place shortly at enormous expense to the citizens of Lancashire.

Many residents of Blackburn will, I am sure, remember the amalgamation of Blackburn borough police force with Lancashire Constabulary on April 1 (All Fools Day) 1969 and which resulted in a much slower response to emergencies for the citizens of Blackburn.

For such emergencies, a vehicle was parked in the police yard at Northgate, ready to be deployed and attend any incident within minutes and if this vehicle was already deployed one of the traffic cars which parked at Blackburn could assist, or cover any further emergency.

A report in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph on Saturday, February 11 stated that the residents of Birch Hall estate in Darwen were outraged due to youths causing intolerable behaviour and damage.

A police inspector stated that they were hopefully creating some kind of youth facility and were also working with youth workers. This statement will not, I am sure, satisfy the residents of Birch Hall. Surely positive action would be for the police to attend these incidents immediately.

Many parents are not interested what their children are doing out of sight, out of mind' clearly seems to be the attitude.

This behaviour, had it occurred in Blackburn while we had a local police force, would have been controlled and the offenders dealt with immediately, that is prior to April 1 1969. What a difference 37 years can make, unfortunately.

DOUG MOSS, Whalley Old Road, Blackburn.