Take our shopping centre. More shops are closing down. What is there left? Five travel agents, three chemists, three pound shops (sorry, two pound shops and one 99p shop), three expensive jewellers and four bakers' shops. And how many card shops, shoe shops, mobile phone shops and charity shops?

Then there is the market hall which was a thriving market, thus bringing people into the town.

What now? About 12 stalls, two greengrocers, two sweet stalls, one card stall, one sandwich stall, a cooked meat stall and one butchers. I was a butcher for over 40 years.

The Thursday outdoor market has two greengrocers, one fish stall, two butchers and a few other stalls.

It's about time the shopping centre manager, our MP, the mayor and the council did something about the disgusting state of the whole town.

Roll on when we get our new bus passes this month so we can travel elsewhere to shop.

C Thompson,
Elm Tree Park,
Hartlepool.