THE minutes of the Three Towns Community Forum held at Daisy Hill on March 16, 2004, make interesting reading.

In "Item 5: Underage Drinking and Enforcement Action in Westhoughton", trading standards officer Mr D Wilson told the forum of an operation which was undertaken with the police on February 13 and 14 in the Westhoughton area.

This involved visiting 14 off-licences, of which eight were found to be selling alcohol to children. Prosecutions are currently taking place.

We are now told that the off-licences will not be named and shamed, but instead issued letters of warning saying the offence has been put on their record.

We now have on-the-spot fixed penalty fines for speeding, dog fouling and litter dropping - even the most paltry parking lapse brings a £25 fine. Have we got the balance right?

The social consequences of selling alcohol to children must be far greater than dropping an empty crisp packet in Victoria Square.

We need a satisfactory answer from the police on this matter, either in the Bolton Evening News or at the next forum meeting.

Laurence Owens

Chairmen Westhoughton North and Chew Moor Ward Labour Party