THE report headlined 'A Farce' (LET, September 14) leaves me feeling sad and disillusioned with some leaders of society.

A 21-year-old, unemployed Blackburn male, who already owes the state 'more than £330' and is committed to repaying that amount at the rate of £4 per week until April 2004 was brought before the court for drinking alcohol in public.

How much does it cost the state to bring him before the court, knowing full well that he is unable to repay any monetary fine?

A person representing the Christian church speaks about drink offenders by using the words: 'We must make life uncomfortable for them and keep the pressure up.' He goes on to say, 'Perhaps eventually we do need to look at taking away their liberty or some other form of sanction.'

Your LET report states that 'Magistrates were told that their punishment options were limited.' All this talk of punishment and retribution. Whatever happened to words like compassion and charity?

One member of the drinking group ended the report saying, 'You can't stop an alcoholic drinking.'

I believe alcoholism is either a sickness or an addiction, much like gambling or nicotine and as such can be cured.

I suggest the same powers that would mete out punishment, could try to help an alcoholic to stop drinking.

The money spent on prohibition signs, policing and court assemblies could be better spent on trying to cure the drinkers of their problem.

Cure the cause and the effect will fade away.

PETER FARLEY, Reservoir Street, Darwen.