IN 1963 the firm of Alley & McLellan's left Worcester for Kilmarnock. They treated Worcester with contempt.

The Tory government financed a new factory for them at Kilmarnock, partly out of taxes paid by Worcester people. Ironically, as it has now turned out, Alley & McLellan's premises were eventually taken over by Kays.

The list of former Worcester industrial companies that have either closed down or moved since 1945 seems endless. Heenan and Froude, Archdales, Wards, Meco, Eltex, Cinderella, Hardy and Padmore, Thomas & Son, Windshields among others have all gone. Metal Box and Metal Castings remain but employ but a fraction of their former workforces.

There were once 134 glove companies in Worcester, including the mighty Dent and Allcrofts. Now there are none.

All the insurance companies have left Worcester. We do not have the headquarters of a single large company.

The only representation of Central Government, the MoD once located at Whittington Road, has gone. Even local government is diminished now that Herefordshire has gone "independent".

Now the final disaster has hit the Faithful City. Kays are to leave Worcester after 300 years, and transfer 700 jobs to people in Lancashire.

Worcester will become a ghost town, a mere dormitory for all the surrounding towns. The young people of this bleak city would be advised not only to "go west" but to all points of the compass to look for work. This city is dying. What use are schools and supermarkets without infrastructure?

D E MARGRETT,

Worcester.