THE Westhoughton alcohol ban defies belief! I read with utter dismay the comments made by Lawrence Owen regarding the street gangs of Wingates.

As their Labour councillor on the Westhoughton Town Council, it is my duty to support him and the Wingates Residents' Association.

I have spoken on several occasions with some of the committee, and am fully aware of the problems faced by them.

The Wingates Residents' Association has fought for years to make the estate a safe and pleasant place to live in, but this is now being ruined by a bunch of louts who probably live miles away.

The geographical location of Wingates makes it more vulnerable than most estates in Westhoughton. There are several footpaths the culprits can use to access and escape if the need arises, and it is situated on the A6 and in the middle of several bus routes.

It would appear that the solution the Liberal Democrat-controlled borough council seems to prefer is a total alcohol ban in the whole of Westhoughton. I have never heard of a more unworkable solution to a problem in all my 60 years on this earth.

On the streets, roads and footpaths that the council owns, it could probably be achieved. However, not all roads are the property of the Bolton Council. The road outside my own house is owned by myself and my neighbours, and we have to pay for its upkeep. The land my house stands on is freehold, so I own the land.

There could be hundreds of landlords involved. So how on earth can a byelaw be be applied to privately-owned land and property? How long would a public consultation exercise take, and at what cost ?

If we had a total ban, the situation could occur when you would actually be breaking the law by sitting in your own garden supping an ice-cold beer on a hot summer day. Just imagine a team of crack police officers climbing over your fence to catch you in the act.

The residents of Wingates have thought long and hard about the possible consequences. Regardless of a total alcohol ban in Westhoughton, they want action and they want it now, not in five years time.

Joseph Hayes

Park Meadow

Westhoughton