THE other day while I was waiting for a bus (that was late as usual), I started to think of things that did not used to happen which now seem to occur quite often.

Things such as litter on the streets, dog dirt on the pavement, cracked paving stones, potholes in the roads, cars parked on pavements, no giving way to pedestrians at zebra crossings and people over 12 years of age riding bicycles on the pavements.

There are no police stations, no policemen on the streets, no community support officers.

Buses always seem to be late, buses cancelled, they are dirty and badly driven.

The trains are late, cancelled, there are no guards on trains, no conductors on buses, town centre shops closing faster than we can count, knifings on the streets, beggars on the streets, drugs are common place, crime figures on the increase, fewer assistants in shops, people sitting on public transport with bags or luggage on seats, young people not standing up to let old disabled or pregnant ladies sit, feet being put up on seats,closure of health centres,poor sentencing for crime, our emergency services being abused.

It makes me wonder what it will be like in another five years

M Holt

Peel Terrace

Westhoughton