SIR: I couldn't believe what I read in Cllr Peter Johnston's letter (Viewpoint, May 30). Noise is a real risk to health, ask any doctor. For anyone with a stress-related illness, such as a heart condition, noise can be a killer.

To suggest that this isn't a serious situation and to dismiss it with 'I'm sorry but there isn't a lot that can be done about it', is tantamount to giving children, or yobs, carte blanche as to where they can play their noisy games. Get your act together Cllr Johnson and insist that where 'No ball games' signs are posted, that's what they mean.

Brian Derbyshire

Ribchester Grove, Bolton SIR: Cllr Johnston, as usual, strays miles away from the points raised, in mine and other readers letters about football played in streets.

Our problem was when youngsters played pointing towards our windows and using the bordering grass verge in the process, there was a danger of windows being broken. I and the youngsters' Dad, shook hands and agreed to move their 'pitch' a few yards to our mutual satisfaction.

If football is played in a street which carries traffic, the safety and with it the health of anyone involved can be seriously impaired.

To imply that the tenancy of a home is threatened, by a few words in 'Viewpoint' brings Cllr Johnston's views into serious disquiet.

J Burke

Russell Court, Farnworth SIR: Do the footballers play in front of Cllr Johnston's home?

I have experienced footballers kicking against the terrace wall of my house throughout the day until dark in the Summer time. The police took no action, parents couldn't care less.

I eventually moved to a middle terrace and found the football continued at the rear back street. I moved again in a well to do cul-de-sac only to find it encouraged by the parents and sometimes they joined in! I later moved to a busy thoroughfare and exchanged the bang-bang of the football for cars, buses and persons who kicked drink cans up and down the road. In latter years my husband was gravely ill but the footballers, parents of the same and police, did nothing at all to make his life more comfortable.

My sincere sympathy is with the householder who cannot move away from these yobs.

Today's behaviour of the football louts who damaged the aeroplane proves my point, that these so called footballers are merely today's and unfortunately tomorrows vandals (merely by example).

Sarah and Tom Marsh, Horwich.

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