SIR, — Fakery comes to the Town Hall. Again one is forced into a critical position by our inept St Albans District Council. I am talking, of course, about the visual nonsense created by The Merchant Tea & Coffee Company in the once airy, light and elegant

SIR, - Fakery comes to the Town Hall. Again one is forced into a critical position by our inept St Albans District Council.

I am talking, of course, about the visual nonsense created by The Merchant Tea & Coffee Company in the once airy, light and elegant ground-floor space forming the front part of our Town Hall. Sadly, it's not really surprising, because this phoney colonial theme-park/stage-set approach to interior design is simply in tune with the fate suffered by the Waterend Barn and the Carnegie Library.

Does the council think that this is local distinctiveness? A most visible piece of a landmark Grade 11* Listed building, of great historical importance to St Albans and beautifully restored, is now virtually thrown away. Would this happen to a similar building in Bath? I think not. Hear Nikolaus Pevsner turning in his grave.

The one good thing is that this offending package is so fake that without damaging the original structure it could quite easily be taken out and skipped - I look forward.

MARSDEN HAMMANT,

West View Road, St Albans.