Letters to the Editor

SIR - I was appalled to read (T&A, June 9) that the ruthless, vicious armed robbers who murdered Tasawar Hussain are to appeal, via of course their very well-paid lawyers, for a reduction in the number of years that each will spend in prison.

These two criminals committed a string of armed robberies. They shot people, finally gunning down an unarmed man whose only crime was to have the courage to become involved when he saw a crime being committed.

The lawyers acting for the two career criminals (D Elener and son, armed robberies our speciality!) are saying that "the tariffs were manifestly excessive".

Well they may think so, but I'm sure that ordinary people think these criminals got just what they deserved.

I myself think they should have been humanely executed.

My faith in the so-called "justice" in today's Britain is such that I've little doubt that the appeals may well succeed.

Perhaps the judge could also arrange for a small sum of money, from the public purse of course, to be given to both men on their release just to get them started again before they can resume their life of crime!

Brian Pickford, Summerbridge Crescent, Eccleshill.

Light bulb anger

Sir - A few months ago Bradford Council sent out to homeowners, questionnaires asking for information about maintenance and repairs to property, rented and owned.

They stated that for every form filled in they would send out a free low-energy light bulb pack worth £10. I have just received a letter stating that the packs will not be sent out, but will be available to collect, but only two locations given.

The first is at Usher Street, Bradford, hardly a central location, and the second is at Keighley Town Hall information centre.

My point is that they obviously didn't cost out how much the packs would be to post and secondly the collection points are woefully inadequate. They should include places like Bradford City Hall, and Shipley and Skipton Town Halls.

Alan Smith, Glenaire Drive, Baildon.

l A Bradford Council spokesperson said: "We are sorry that we are unable to post the free gift of low-energy light bulbs to the 1,600 people who filled in the questionnaires about the new Comprehensive Housing Renewal Policy.

"Originally, it was intended to provide one free light bulb, but this was increased to a pack of four which is too big to fit through letter boxes.

"We therefore decided to ask people to collect them from Keighley Town Hall or the Private Sector Housing office in Usher Street, Bradford.

"We felt these locations would be accessible to most people living in the district but we apologise if they are inconvenient for some people. We have now also made the packs available for collection at Shipley Town Hall Reception; Shipley Information Centre, next to Shipley Library; Manningham One Stop Shop at the junction of Lumb Lane/Carlisle Road and Britannia House Reception, Broadway, Bradford".

Learn the lesson

SIR - Re the story 'City must flow freely with traffic', Bradford Chamber of Commerce's wish list is 1960s thinking. Leeds has proved this does not work.

A wise person learns from his mistakes and also the mistakes of others.

The wish list makes no mention of bringing light rail to Bradford and giving the long-suffering motorist and bus-user a safe, fast, comfortable, clean, all-weather alternative.

They state: "This is overwhelmingly the first choice for most travellers!" BRUG is of the opinion that the alternatives are so poor and unreliable that people have no alternatives to the private car.

BRUG would ask how many motorists would use park-and-ride if it existed and how many motorists are currently using railway park-and-ride facilities when travelling to cities.

BRUG is well aware extra car parking is needed at many stations.

Ilkley councillor Anne Hawkesworth is concerned about the large number of cars parked on Ilkley streets for the day while their owners travel by train.

However the councillor makes no mention of the road congestion these cars would cause if their owners decided to drive to their destination.

C V Barton, Chairman Bradford Rail Users Group, Hasley Road, Burley-in-Wharfedale.

Our BNP shame

SIR - I would like to place on record how ashamed I am as a Bradfordian of the individuals who were either misled or racially motivated to vote for the BNP.

At a time when they have made no progress anywhere else, I hope those who voted for them will reflect long and hard on what sort of message their decision to vote BNP has sent to the rest of the country about our city. Since the 1800s we have welcomed the Irish, German Jews, East Europeans, West Indians, Asians and others to our city, a record we can be proud of, but of course in the last two years the name of Bradford has been only associated with riots, and now with support for the BNP.

I saw the BNP election broadcast which was allowed air time, and it was an attack specifically on the Muslim community, so much so the presenter was at pains to point out that the BNP had no quarrel with other ethnic minorities.

Sadly, it seems many normally tolerant and presumably intelligent people have been taken in by this sort of vile propaganda.

Hatred and intolerance never solved problems anywhere, and never will. I hope the BNP's stay in the council chambers will be brief and soon forgotten.

Gordon Dean, Long Lane, Harden.

It's Green for go

SIR - May I thank the people of Bradford who, in the recent local elections, recorded over 17,000 votes for the Green Party. This is a massive increase over previous results.

It now gives the Green Party four councillors and sends a clear message to the other parties that environmental issues and the quality of people's lives must now be given far more consideration than in the past.

S Robinson, Bradford Green Party, Westgate, Bradford.

Who pays the bill?

SIR - According to your paper (June 11) MPs Chris Leslie and Ann Cryer hailed the postal ballot held on June 10 as a huge success on turnout.

It would be interesting to know where they got their information from. According to the June 12 issue of the T&A, when local results were published, none of the Bradford Metropolitan Council turnout figures were recorded, just N/A which one assumes means not available and most of the other local results were the same.

It would be very interesting to know the cost of holding the postal vote as opposed to a ballot box vote.

As Westminster insisted that on this occasion this be the method adopted, who footed the bill - the local councils or the Government?

N H Barwick, Kingston Close, Wilsden.

Found in Lytham

SIR - Thank you for printing my letter (T&A, June 15). Just after reading the paper I received a telephone call from a gentleman whose late relatives resided in Lytham St Annes.

He told me that one Talbot dog is on the frontage of the Talbot Hotel in the square - I wonder where the other one is?

F Warden, High Street, Thornton.

l EDITOR'S NOTE: The last we officially heard of the Talbot dogs was when they were auctioned to David Thompson, a former East Bierley antiques dealer, at Sotheby's in Chester in 1991. Apparently they had been painted orange somewhere along the way.