I FEEL I must write to protest about the decision by Lancaster City Council not to allow the music co-op to renew its lease on its premises in favour of a retail chain.

Anyone with even a passsing interest in Lanc-aster as a community of people rather than an opportunity to make money can see that to lose the music co-op would be a disaster.

In these days with drugs and apathy rampant in young people, surely anything that offers a credible and cool' alternative to the negative message of drugs is to be welcomed and nurtured.

I have lost count of the number of people who have said to me If I wasn't in a band I'd be on smack' so it's about time people acknow-ledged the fact that rock music plays a very impor-tant and positive role in society.

If the co-ops premises have to go then it should be given suitable alternative premises as a matter of priority.

Paul Hullock, Furness Live Music.