ELECTED MAYOR

I DELIVERED 722 petition sheets in favour of an elected mayor to Darlington Town Hall on Monday as many people already know.

Gathering signatures has been a hard slog by a small band of ordinary townspeople, never numbering any more than ten at any one time.

This was a historic day for Darlington and the people of our town will now have the opportunity to make their feelings known and directly affect future decisions in the borough.

I would like to thank everyone who has been involved with me in gathering signatures and particularly those friends, colleagues and associates who took an active interest and brought people power to the fore. - Harvey Smith, Darlington.

CYCLISTS

IT is not the thought of responsible-looking cyclists like Owen Amos (Echo, Feb 10) which worries pedestrians so much as the thought of younger lads weaving and wheeling in congested areas.

These young ones may be proud of their control of their cycles, but what about when a pedestrian stops or alters course, perhaps to look in a shop window?

It may be largely "a perception of danger" to use Tim Stahl's words, but it is a risk and a worry. Motorists walk in pedestrian areas, so why not cyclists? - Dorothy Lincoln, Darlington.

COMMUNITY CENTRE

WE would like to congratulate Red Hall on establishing a community centre, but we wonder why no encouragement or help has been given by Darlington Borough Council to establishing similar facilities in Harrowgate Hill.

Residents told us that a community centre is neede, but the council chose to sell off the only suitable building - Harrowgate Hill Infants School - for private development without asking the community for its views. Sporting facilities at Longfield School are also poor and badly need an injection of substantial sums of money to bring them up to standard. The school does not have the funding to improve its sporting facilities. We will continue to press the council for the development of a community centre and decent community sports facilities and to ensure that the area receives its fair share of council funding, which up to present, does not appear to be the case. - Alan Macnab, Anne Marie Curry and Ray Bennett, Lib Dem Focus group, Harrowgate Hill ward, Darlington.