SIR - We are deeply disappointment with the article headlined Rusty' sculpture is unveiled amid row (T&A, January 11) which seems at odds to your comment on Saturday on the benefits of new and interesting public art.

An enormous amount of community-led work has gone into developing the art work by Evans Towers which has involved input from St Joseph's Primary School pupils, local residents and the Bradford artist, Marcela Livingston.

This was expressed at the unveiling by resident Lil Aklam, one of many local people who has given years of dedicated work to improving the area for the benefit of everyone.

Bradford Community Housing Trust and Bradford Trident, as the joint commissioning bodies of this externally-funded project, are committed to working with residents and the community to make lasting improvements to people's lives and the environment they live in.

At the heart of this work is the involvement and support of local people and this was widely expressed in an extensive public consultation into the art project.

Unfortunately, the T&A coverage represents a body blow' to the artist and residents who have enthusiastically supported this.

It seems the ill-informed views of one or two individuals have taken precedent over what is a celebration of the community working together.

Geraldine Howley, BCHT Group Chief Executive, and Steve Hartley, Chief Executive of Bradford Trident

  • EDITOR'S NOTE: Our news story was a fair, accurate and balanced report of views expressed to us by local people in which we said there was "some controversy" and "not all local residents" were happy with the installation. It followed an earlier report in which we covered the installation in some detail and previewed the unveiling. It is important to distinguish between unbiased news reporting and comment. As you rightly say, our editorial Opinion expressed a positive view of the sculptures but we do not censor the views of readers just because they take a different position. Perhaps readers will have their own view as to whether members of the community should be described as "ill-informed" simply because you don't like their opinions.