IN reply to Rawson Road resident, and also Fed up Chorley Old Road resident (July 19).

First and foremost, I was not so important as to be "The Leader" of the Residents' Association -- I was only the Secretary. But, that apart, you don't have to be a genius to work out that an official organisation has more chance of being taken notice of by the authorities than an individual.

Secondly, if you can get hold of a copy of the Bolton Evening News dated December 5, 2001, you will find a letter written by me, making exactly the same point you are accusing me of neglecting. I would suggest that, before "slinging mud" at someone who has been trying to have this problem resolved, you make sure that some of the mud does not rebound back at you. I have written letters to all the appropriate council departments, copies of which are with the newly-elected Secretary of the Association. If the Highways Department did sanction work to be carried out, ie narrowing the pavement(s), it would be a minimum of two years before work would be started. On the other hand, even if the work was done, who is to say that some selfish car driver who could not park in front of his own house would not block the centre of the carriageway? Until recently, you MUST know that the lamp-post in the middle of the street blocked access down the middle, so the odd car parking three abreast was not the problem. In fact, there is still a lamp-post in the middle up at the top end, but let's not let facts get in the way of a good character assassination.

I have never stated that I, or the Residents' Association, could resolve anyone's problems, but I would like to think that it is better to have tried and not succeeded, than not to have tried at all.

Perhaps if Rawson Road resident would like to make him/herself known to me, the proof of what I have just written could be shown to him/her. I am not so naive as to expect an apology, but to get some recognition of what I and the Association have tried to do would be a bit of encouragement for the future.

As for Fed up Chorley Old Road, well, words fail me. Quite honestly, how naive can you be if you think that a CCTV camera will deter anyone who is hellbent on causing trouble? The cameras are there to film what has gone on and identify the culprits. As regards the letting of houses in the area, I have no information on the subject, but you seem to have all the information at your fingertips.

Jack Sinclair

(now the retired Secretary of O.G.R.A.)