MY attention has been drawn to your page one story 'Jolly Unfair' (LET, July 7). I am surprised and disappointed that the award by Municipal Journal for the Best Young Manager of the Year (not junior manager as stated) to Blackburn with Darwen Council employee Hamid Patel was not reported more positively.

I personally think it reflects great credit on the borough, the workforce development team and Hamid Patel.

As chief executive of a leading national education charity, I am well aware of the excellent reputation Blackburn with Darwen Council has gained across this country for the quality of its work with children and young people.

The borough's workforce development team has played an important role in this success.

The significance of Mr Patel's achievement is not only in terms of his success as workforce development manager, but also as a role model for other young Muslims in the local community.

I believe his achievement should be the source of celebration and inspiration. The award offers a positive counter to recent negative events.

Blackburn with Darwen should be rightly proud of this honour, both for the manager of the workforce development team and all its members.

Furthermore, I would suggest that we all have a duty to young people and at this time particularly Muslim young people to recognise many of the positive contributions that they are making.

PHIL STREET OBE, Chief Executive Officer, Continyou -- Building Learning Communities, Old Ford Road, London.

Editor's Footnote: No one has ever questioned Mr Patel's achievements. Indeed in our Opinion column we said he had done "exceptionally well."

The story was about the inappropriate use of money from an EU fund for regional development and the council is now taking steps to ensure this does not happen again.