RECENT letters have asked about playgrounds for young children. That is well and good, but what amenities are there for older children?

There seems to be a lot of animosity towards them which is not always deserved. What Blackburn with Darwen provides is very scant.

I live near Sunnyhurst Wood, Darwen. What have we got? Four old swings, a dirty lake and four dog toilets!

Kids are told off for riding their bikes in the wood, but no one complains about the dogs being let off their leads and being allowed to foul the muddy tracks which serve as footpaths.

As for the dog toilets, well, these just seem to grow plastic bags -- not a pretty sight. There are dog mess bins adjacent to the dog toilets, but no one seems to use them.

During the school holidays, a few of the kids -- 13/14 year olds -- have been trying to fish in the stream in the woods. Unfortunately, the only fishing available around here is private. It belongs to one of our local employers. Why are such amenities not available to local children -- under supervision, of course?

JOE BEARDSWORTH, Falcon Avenue, Darwen.