AS a shop or business premise has closed, a pub or club has opened up in its place. It is therefore quite reasonable to expect some concern from St Helens residents.

The representative from Pubwatch (Dear Star, April 29) insists the town centre is one of the safest in the country, yet there are many people who consider it a 'no go' area in the evening.

Every week in the local papers there are reports of attacks and assaults, and only this week the Government has announced that alcohol fuelled crime has increased nationally, and that measures need to be taken to combat this. Yes this is the same Government that wants more relaxed licensing laws.

The mistake that is often made is that some people believe the word leisure is synonymous with the word alcohol. By all means have pubs and clubs but balance this proportionately with other more inclusive forms of recreation that all age groups can enjoy.

The regeneration of St Helens leisure facilities should not just be about catering for one specific group, nor should it be for revellers who just want to pub crawl through the town centre.

There should be a warm welcome for all St Helens residents and visitors alike but also a clear message to those who would vomit on our pavements, urinate against our walls, and commit violent crime because they have had too much to drink. The message should be - zero tolerance.

ST HELENS Native (name and address supplied)