It's understandable, and indeed quite right, that massive outrage should be felt at the revelation that Mustaf Jamma, wanted for the killing of PC Sharon Beshenivsky, was a foreign criminal and persistent offender who wasn't deported back to Somalia because it was thought he would be in danger there.

This isn't an issue for which Charles Clarke should have been expected to take the rap - although he was certainly steeped in blame for the fact that since he learned last year that foreign prisoners were not being even considered for deportation, the practice has been allowed to continue.

The decision to give Jamma indefinite leave to stay in the UK was taken before Clarke became Home Secretary. It was a very wrong, very stupid decision based on concerns for the human rights of a criminal rather than the human rights of his victims, past and potential.

People who come to this country, whether it be legally or (increasingly) illegally and are allowed to stay should do so on the understanding that they repay its hospitality by behaving impeccably. They should not put a foot wrong.

If they do, there should be no question of British taxpayers having to finance them through a lengthy stay in prison and then see them released back into the community to possibly (and in many cases probably) commit further crimes.

Any foreign "guest" of this country who gets on the wrong side of the law should immediately be deported to his or her country of origin however dangerous it might be for them there. With the exception of those who commit crimes under coercion from others - women forced into prostitution, say, or those working illegally and unregistered in sweat shops - that should be the firm rule.

That they might come to harm back in their country of origin is their problem, not ours.

They should have thought about that before they abused Britain's hospitality. If the new Home Secretary manages to get that incorporated into British law and not over-ruled by human-rights lawyers, he'll go some way towards redeeming the Government.

John Prescott, who has come out of the reshuffle rather nicely (no responsibilites, same perks) had perhaps less reason to fall on his sword than Charles Clarke. His sin has been personal rather than professional. In fact, if he'd been a splendid politician who had worked tirelessly and selflessly for the common good but had then been caught out in a sexual indiscretion, there would probably have been some sympathy for him.

But the man has been a waste of space: running his two Jags and three homes, somehow omitting to pay council tax, messing up the transport system, insisting that green fields be built on everywhere, trying to push through regional parliaments against the wishes of the public, over-ruling local planning decisions reached by democratically-elected bodies. And he's a blustering bully to boot.

It's a rum old world, isn't it? A reader in search of a new three-piece suite tells me that after seeing an advert for a sofa company in a national newspaper she rang the suggested number to find out the whereabouts of the nearest store.

The woman who answered asked her for her postcode and when she gave the first half of it - the "BD plus a number" bit - demanded the rest and her house number as well before she'd tell her where the Bradford store was.

The reader, rightly being of the opinion that in these days of identity-theft risk you only give out your name and address to those who absolutely need to know it, refused to pass on the information. The conversation was deadlocked and in the end the line was cut from the inquiry-desk end.

What on earth was all that about? The words "mailing list" spring to mind. In the end she asked around and learned the whereabouts of the Bradford branch. But it was no thanks to the inquiry line. And she was so disgusted, she bought her suite elsewhere.

Since the relief road opened, Bingley has experienced something of a revival and things can only get better when the shopping centre is redeveloped. But did you know that the town has gone so far up in the world that it now has its own airport?

Eldwick reader Frank Holt (above) spotted this sign at the top of Whetley Lane and wonders if it's part of the Better Bingley plan.

The town already has two main roads, a railway line, a river and a canal running through it, so I suppose an airport would complete the set!