WITH regards to St Helens Council's attempts to force the residents of Chapel Street and Argyle Street into accepting that there is no alternative to the decision by them that the properties in question will be acquired by compulsory purchase order and then demolished, I would advise the council to take a step back in time and think again.

The reason I say this is because the council embarked on a similar exercise in 1974/75 this time they picked on the residents a few blocks away, in Atherton Street. They were told by council officials to wave the white flag, as they stood no chance, against the faceless bureaucrats in the Town Hall.

Well against all the odds they took them on, and they won.

If my memory is correct, the residents of Atherton Street forced the council to take the issue to independent arbitration. The chairman after consulting both sides, found in favour of the residents, on the grounds that the reasons the council issued the compulsory purchase orders were not founded, in that the properties in question were indeed fit and proper places to live (the houses at the bottom still stand as testament to that decision 30 years ago).

So a precedent has been set. So my advice to Councillor Ashcroft is to approach the council about this case (only a few streets away) and to ask them in the light of the above case history to review and overturn their decision to issue compulsory purchase orders on the residents of Chapel Street and Argyle Street at their meeting on September 15.

The residents, many of whom are my friends, want no more than to be left in peace. So I implore the council, abide by their wishes and to withdraw this plan and allow these people to continue the rest of their lives in the comfort of their own homes.

MR BRADBURY, Windle Street, St Helens.