UNFORTUNATELY Mr Roy Davies, (Letters, October 18) must not have read my letter which outlined the improvements in lighting in the Sudell area of town as a result of it being designated an action on crime hotspot.

It could be construed that Mr Davies is being a little selfish in wanting more street lighting on his own street (which has front and back street lighting) when other, more deprived areas of the borough do not have any back street lighting.

It must be stressed that the monies allocated for the Blackburn town centre lighting scheme cannot be spent on extra residential lighting -- just as the money allocated in Sudell for reducing crime cannot be spent in Blackburn town centre.

This is because certain pots of government money have to be allocated in certain ways.

Of course, Mr Davies is correct to be worried about burglary -- one is too many. But because of the actions by the police, council and various agencies, burglary has reduced in Sudell by 64 per cent as compared to 1997.

Crime has reduced by 16 per cent while juvenile nuisance has fallen by 27 per cent. Indeed, Sudell does not now figure in the top 20 crime 'hot spots' in the borough.

On the basis of falling crime and burglary, surely Mr Davies should be praising the efforts of the council and local councillors. Somehow I doubt it.

COUNCILLOR DAVE SMITH (Sunnyhurst Ward), Avondale Road, Darwen.