WITH reference to the article: "Nightmare on my doorstep" (BEN: November 23).

I cannot see why any person, but in particular a woman living alone, would be foolhardy enough to buy a home without researching the location. The standard practice of all house-hunters with any common sense is to visit the area they are interested in at different times and on different days, to avoid the possibility of moving into, say, a red-light district, or a street frequented by groups of threatening youths.

The fact that "Mary Smith" has been living in Bolton for years makes her claims that she was naive as to the reputation of her street even more ridiculous. Make no mistake, I do not condone the existence of a red-light area, and I do believe that the prostitution issue in Bolton needs to be addressed urgently.

What I cannot accept is Miss Smith only discovering the problem after she moved in. Surely it was her responsibility, for the sake of her own safety and quality of life, to make sure that her location was suitable? She should not blame Council chiefs or the property developers for her own costly mistake.

J. Bentham

Bolton