I CONSIDER myself a big supporter of St Helens town centre.

I regularly spend money in shops, cafes and local businesses.

This partly because I still enjoy a trip to town and want to support local traders.

In saying that, I acknowledge the town centre is not what it was and, boy, how we miss those flagship stories such as Woolies, M&S and Tyrers.

Times change of course and St Helens, like many other town centres, faces its challenges.

I don’t go along with these claims it’s a ghost town - there are plenty of shoppers there on the occasions I visit and lots of stores, cafes, pubs and businesses worth visiting.

What I have noticed, however, on my recent visits is that town is looking increasingly unkempt and uncared for.

Graffiti appears to be on on the rise and there is more rubbish lying around.

Now, while the council can’t solve the problems faced by the town centre with a magic wand, surely it can do something about this and work with businesses to ensure the area doesn’t look scruffy.

Times may be tough, the cost-of-living crisis has bitten us hard but we need to show some pride of place and not let the area grow.

This isn’t intended as a town centre bashing letter, but rather a call to action for a clean-up.

Will someone in charge open their eyes and do something about it?

Town centre shopper