SIR: As lamentable excuses go, the latest pathetic offering from Bolton MBC that road grit would have blown up against the kerb must rank right up there with classics such as BR's wrong type of snow/leaves on the line and North West Water's rain falling, but in the wrong places.

This from an authority which has in the past hidden behind inane slogans such as Busy Booming Bolton and which has prompted the elephant trail, or should that be the white elephant trail. (Start at the Water Place and end at the proposed sports complex at Manchester Road College.)

If the powers that be within the Town Hall and locally elected councillors back the inclination, imagination and ability to take us into the next century, then let a thorough overhaul take place now before our once proud town becomes even more of a laughing stock.

Mr Stephen Monk, Longworth Road, Horwich

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