I HAVE read with interest over the past several weeks, letters on this page concerning the activity of homosexuals using the lay-by on the A666 between Bolton and Darwen. While I would not condone any public sexual activity, I cannot differentiate between homosexuals using this remote (probably as remote as one can get) lay-by or the heterosexuals use of the busy Scout Road and its various lanes and farm tracks.

In my opinion, this smacks of hypocrisy. In particular, the correspondence from Mr F. Isherwood (Dec 21) suggests that the letter from Alan Horsfall implied that homosexuals should be exempt from the decency laws, in fact, if he had read the letter correctly, Mr Horsfall was pointing out that homosexuals were the ONLY ones falling foul of this law.

He also suggests that the police hiding their uniforms is laughable - has he never heard of plain-clothes police officers? I do, however, agree with him on the point he raised that the police have to investigate if these incidents are occurring frequently. Perhaps then only the police can explain their absence from Scout Road.

As for his point on the police not dictating to the magistrates, there is absolutely no need to. What heterosexuals would regard as a bit of exciting harmless fun, should homosexuals do likewise then they can expect to feel the full weight of the law? It is hardly surprising that Bolton was nominated the most homophobic town in the country.

Derek Hilton,

Oldham Terrace,

Astley Bridge.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.