Letters to the Editor

Having had to depend on public transport for more than 30 years I can say that a few children swearing in the back is now the least of the public's problems.

Surly, monosyllabic drivers aside, it's a minor miracle if the bus actually rolls up at all!

While waiting on Market Street for the half-hour-late 610 to Shipley last Thursday and Friday evening, I scanned the faces of the poor souls in my queue (and that alongside, waiting for the 640) for signs of rebellion or rage.

All I saw was stoic determination, apathy, resignment and then smiles of relief when the bus rolled up.

On voicing my protests to the driver I was met with silence and looks of disapproval.

Most of the poor downtrodden Joe Public is now so used to being ignored or abused that it's probably easier and safer to take what's dealt out in silence and capitulation.

Sheila Ognissanti, Kings Road, Bradford.

SIR - I feel the story regarding the state of education in Bradford (T&A, October 11) is unduly downbeat.

The story alleges the Government remains very concerned at "the persistent low standards in Bradford" but neglects to mention that in 2002 Bradford was the most improved education authority in the country with a faster rate of improvement at each key stage than others.

Moreover this year, with regard to the percentage of youngsters gaining A* - C at GCSE, Bradford's rate of improvement was twice the national average. Yes, most other LEAs still do better on this measure, but we are catching up.

In January OFSTED re-examined the Bradford LEA and reported that considerable progress had been made, with highly satisfactory capacity for further improvement.

Not for one second do I wish to be complacent. We still have a long way to go to get all schools performing in a satisfactory fashion and both Education Bradford and the Education Client Side (Bradford Council) will testify that I, and other elected members, are constantly badgering them to maintain the pace of improvement.

But let us not give the false impression that no progress is being made.

Councillor John Cole (Liberal Democrat, Baildon), Oakroyd Terrace, Baildon.

SIR - Mr P E Bird sounds convincing and writes well but erroneously against the euro. He claims that its performance is in the hands of a German bank and not a European Central Bank (Letters, October 10).

Perhaps he'd rather put it in the hands of one man, say George Soros! Financier Soros forced our Conservative Government to devalue the pound not many years ago.

PS: We already have a local tax, Mr Bird, council tax! We Lib-Dems don't want to introduce it but replace it with a fairer local income tax.

John Hall, Pennithorne Avenue, Baildon.

SIR - I am sick of these Europhiles. I know they are entitled to their own beliefs, but why can't they see the real truth about Europe?

Germany still wants to rule Europe and one of their lieutenant-generals is already bragging about commanding British troops when Tony Blair hands them over. France, which is hand in glove with Germany, thinks that the EU is simply there to prop up its economy. French farmers defy the EU Common Agricultural Police and its fishermen are no better.

When you go on holiday, take a look at the big fish markets and the many seafood restaurants in Holland, Belgium, France and Spain.

Our fishing industry has almost been wiped out by the EU. They can fish in our waters but we can't fish in theirs, and the Mediterranean is teeming with fish while our fishing grounds are almost depleted.

It is time we left the EU altogether before it is too late. The EU means nothing but trouble for Britain, but for England especially.

N Brown, Peterborough Place, Undercliffe.

SIR - Regarding recent letters concerning the building of houses on the side of Hope Hill, off West Lane, it seems that all the people who are making political capital out of criticising Chris Leslie MP are for this development, since he was against it.

All the people who attended the packed meeting at Baildon Church Hall for the last inquiry made it obvious that nobody wanted the development except Yorkshire Water and the builders.

The people who will lose votes are the councillors who voted for the development. Let's hope that somebody can stop the destruction of "England's green and pleasant land." Why not another inquiry?

G Hollingshead, Trenance Drive, Shipley.

SIR - It seems all the political parties have discovered the need to help pensioners. The Tories want to re-establish the link between pensions and earnings. So, presumably, we can get back the £18 we lost when the link was broken?

The Government has schemes to help what it describes as the poorest pensioners. Statistics show they are aged 75 and above but the Government is determined to means-test all pensioners despite experience showing that more than 500,000 will not fill in or subject themselves to a means test, thereby losing out. Most pensioners will not qualify anyway.

Many of our members, particularly in the older age group, often took jobs with low pay, such as in the NHS, to have a small pension on retirement, sacrificing salary, so they lose out.

We do not see other benefits like family allowance being means-tested or even asylum-seekers' allowances. The solution is a liveable pension for all.

Perhaps the fact that 11 million pensioners are beginning to organise themselves is giving food for thought.

Audrey Raistrick, secretary, Forum Focused on Pensioner Power, Westgate, Victoria Road, Bradford.

SIR - I must reply to the strange letter from Mr Homer of Electromagnetic Surveys Limited (Letters, October 13) in which he states that radiation from mobile phone base stations is well below the maximum permitted levels.

He also states that placing base stations on a school roof can be an advantage due to levels being lower immediately below them.

If these base stations are so safe anyway, how can there be any advantage in siting them so that children avoid the main signal path?

The simple fact is that, while it is difficult to prove masts are a health risk in the long term, it is also impossible to prove they are not, and the independent Stewart Report advised that we should adopt a precautionary approach. Both the masts referred to in your story (T&A, October 8) are within 300 metres of a primary school and a nursery and are in a densely populated area.

Neighbouring residents are right to complain about the interference they get on their landline telephones and their poor television reception and it is little wonder that they express worries about the impact on their health.

Councillor Martin Love (Green Party, Shipley West), Farfield Road, Shipley.

SIR - Converting the roundabout at the junction of Manchester Road and Mayo Avenue to a traffic light crossing (T&A, October 13) will most probably raise the accident rate.

Here, in Switzerland, we find that roundabouts save lives and reduce speeds as well as noise.

Geoffrey Scholes, Alpenblickstrasse, Horgen, Switzerland.