So what did we see then?
Dear editor, I write following the recent story about UFOs (Guardian, September 16).
Back in 1980, myself and three other girls were going to work as waitresses at Park Hall in Charnock Richard. It was a beautiful summer evening about 6pm.
As we went down Charnock Brow, we stopped the car and got out. There was an object hovering over Southlands High School playing fields. It was as big as two buses and about 30ft off the ground.
It was metallic, cigar-shaped with a glowing neon orange light pulsating at the back. There wasn't a sound, it was perfectly silent.
After about 10 seconds it went into the sky faster than anything on this Earth. It wasn't dark. It wasn't a lantern so what was it? We girls could hardly work that night it seemed so exciting.
Four Chorley ladies
Address supplied

Fraudsters let off lightly
Dear editor, I wish to comment on the two stories regarding fraudsters in the Guardian (September 9).
Norman Hetherington stole almost £30,000 from his employer at the Pines Hotel in Clayton-le-Woods and received a 20-month custodial sentence – and rightly so.
Alan and Sandra Leak from Coppull had fraudulently claimed almost £30,000 in benefits whilst running their own courier business and received a three-year conditional discharge. What a farce.
This greedy, cheating couple should hang their heads in shame as should the person who was responsible for handing out their sentence.
This country will never stamp out fraudulent benefit claims until we have tougher sentences for such crimes.
Name and address supplied

Rieu-d all about it ...
Dear editor, I'm replying to a letter from G Kebbell (Guardian, September 23) about Andre Rieu.
His CDs and DVDs are available to order but have to be imported.
He has not toured extensively in the UK and that is why only a few people have heard of him.
From various customer orders I have taken over the years, some live in the Chorley area.
Malcolm Allen
Malcolm's Musicland
Chapel Street
Chorley

Our car parks are safe
Dear editor, I was disappointed to read someone's car had been damaged on Friday Street car park (Guardian, September 23), but I would like to reassure people that this is a very rare occurrence.
We have an extensive CCTV network across the town centre and the cameras play a vital role in alerting us to potential incidents and deterring people from carrying out crime.
Unfortunately, the cameras cannot pick up every single incident, which is what happened in this case.
It's important to remember our car parks are among some of the safest in the country, with almost no crime and that is partly due to the success of the CCTV system.
Coun Peter Goldsworthy
Leader of Chorley Council

Can we have an apology?
Dear editor, I am writing regarding your recent coverage of the works to the covered market and the misleading statement made in your paper by Chorley Council leader, Peter Goldsworthy.
In response to the concerns expressed by Labour councillors over the company selected to carry out the work, Coun Goldsworthy stated in the Chorley Guardian on July 22 the council had "got to accept the lowest price" at tender stage.
This is simply not true. At the full council meeting held on September 2, the executive member for resources, Coun Kevin Joyce, was asked to confirm whether the council had to select the lowest tender or whether the tender evaluation was conducted on a points-based system.
The points-based system would take into consideration factors such as value for money, the ability to work with subcontractors and the council, ability to deliver on time, and financial viability, all of which are used to assess the suitability of companies who submit a tender.
Coun Joyce confirmed the tender was awarded on a points-based system. I would now invite Coun Goldsworthy to apologise to the people of Chorley through your newspaper.
Coun Alistair Bradley
Chorley

EDITOR'S NOTE: Coun Peter Goldsworthy said: "There has been absolutely no attempt to mislead anybody. Unlike the previous Labour administration, the current Conservative administration, under my leadership, is delighted to invest in Chorley Market."

Give straight answers
Dear editor, so South Ribble's Tory candidate feels justified in spending more of her money, from the billionaire tax exile Lord Ashcroft, in sending out another sheet of propaganda.
Doesn't she realise that it is the lack of straight forward answers that people are sick of?
Rather than saying that she is a 'Tory from Tarleton', it would be more honest to say that she is from Hampshire but has now purchased a property in Tarleton.
Similarly, she claims to have been a councillor for two years (in Hampshire) without claiming any expenses. What would be more interesting, would be for her to tell us how much of the family income is derived from her husband's company selling advice to Tory MPs, who pay for it from the expenses they claim.
Ann Brown
Wheatfield
Leyland

EDITOR'S NOTE: Lorraine Fullbrook said: "It is entirely correct that as the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for the South Ribble constituency, I hope to replace the current Labour MP after the next General Election.
It is entirely correct that my husband and I purchased a property in Tarleton, some years ago now, having moved there from Longton, where we rented a property for about two years. I believe I am therefore entitled to call myself 'The Tory from Tarleton' – which I am.
It is entirely correct, like very many people I meet every day who have moved to South Ribble from all over the country (and yes, including Hampshire!), I have chosen to make my home here and have totally committed myself to fighting for the people of South Ribble for nearly seven years on a number of issues.
I vote in Tarleton – and I do intend to vote for myself at the General Election - and I pay my council tax here.
It is entirely correct that as both a councillor and a council leader, I never claimed a penny in expenses.
If monetary gain was my life's motivation, I would have remained as a business woman.
I do find this a rather strange issue for this Labour activist to raise in his letter.
Our current Labour MP is officially the eighth most expensive MP in the country out of 645.
It is entirely correct that no-one other than me pays for my food, council tax, my monthly utility bills, furniture – or for the cost of my husband and I moving from Longton to Tarleton.
It is entirely correct that I regularly produce literature to highlight the failure of this Labour Government.
The writer states that the leaflet is paid for by Lord Ashcroft. This is entirely incorrect. I have received not one penny from Lord Ashcroft since the 2005 General Election, a fact that is easy to check. I do of course receive some campaign resources from my party.
Finally, the writer attacks my husband. It is entirely correct that he runs a totally legitimate business that does indeed help MPs improve their communication.