SIR: Atherton prided itself on its pits, mills and foundries, but many citizens would have led useless lives through dust and fume diseases.

Dwellers in Leigh, Hindley, Atherton, Mossley Common, Hindsford, Ince, Bickershaw, Abram and Tyldesley all suffered from nasty industrial-related, sickening, often incurable diseases too!

Shifting pit waste benefits no-one save the investors! Bag Lane folks will choke for three to four years on the deadly colliery dust.

Let the spoil from Atherton's pit be! I'm not surprised that southerners think Sparrows around here have Asthma! How many Atherton grandads went to an early grave?

Mr K Lucas

Park Road, Hindley

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