SIR - At last a church is to be consigned to the scrapheap (T&A, October 9); alas St Mary Magdalene, Manningham, is the wrong one.

Better candidates are available; firstly All Saints, Little Horton, which is drinking greedily of regeneration funds and although a Grade 1 listed building is far inferior to St Mary's.

Secondly the cathedral, which should be bulldozed and the proceeds from the site used to refund the Millennium Commission for the money wasted on the god-free and failed "Faith Museum".

It's amazing that, while the Church of England continues to bicker about its internal affairs, waste money on useless inter-faith and race awareness projects and plot ways of diverting public funds into its vast coffers, it finds time to turn churches into carpet showrooms or some similar alternative use.

Would it not be better for the church to concentrate its efforts on servicing its core community - those who wish a decent baptism, marriage and a nice funeral ceremony - and perhaps keeping churches functioning rather than worrying about what sort of bum is on the pew?

David Simpson, Hirst Avenue, Heckmondwike

SIR - John Prescott's approval of the Broadway development, which effectively will prevent the possibility of a cross-Bradford heavy rail link for many years, shows the extent of the Government's commitment to promoting environmentally-sustainable modes of travel.

It should have concerned the Deputy Prime Minister that Bradford Council had deliberately ignored the Government's own PPG12 and Regional Planning Guidance13, which requires the protection of all former and potential rail sites which may be needed in the future.

Where is the sense of providing 1,920 car parking spaces in the centre of Bradford, when the existing roads can barely accommodate current traffic levels?

A cross-Bradford rail link with a shopper's platform, within the development, would have encouraged visitors to travel by rail, thus reducing car dependency.

Those who were concerned at Bradford's omission from the trans-Pennine franchise failed to realise that a lack of through lines was the decisive factor - a point that your own editorial comment acknowledged (T&A, August 1).

Bradford will continue to be marginalised from the rail network because Bradford Council, from senior officers to its elected members, is not committed to the railways.

Alec Suchi, (secretary, Bradford Rail Users' Group), Allerton Road, Allerton.

SIR - This is the 12th year of our fundraising, to provide the children of probation service users with good-quality Christmas presents. We hope you will help us brighten up Christmas for these children, who are disadvantaged through no fault of their own.

Last year due to the generosity of local businesses and organisations; and donations of quality toys from the Junior Chamber of Commerce we raised more than £1,100 and provided approximately 150 children with a lovely present and a happier Christmas.

We would be most grateful to receive any donations, food or gift items (large or small) that we could raffle.

Danny Firth, Ralph Wickham, Claire Smith, Zenab Karim, Mark Love, Helen Ross, Probation Service Staff, 45 Cheapside, Bradford, BD1 4HP.

SIR - You can compare prices for ever, from the escalating price of living until the last r.i.p. off, which is the cost of dying; but nothing comes cheaper than human life itself.

The bloody business of warfare sinks to its lowest level when terrorists butcher the innocents of opponents instead of their combatant forces. The widespread usage of lethal drugs, unhealthy lifestyles, disregard for our natural environment and aggressive anti-social behaviour are all sad manifestations of how little we care for others and our own life.

Like Pontius Pilate, our lawmakers don't sentence people to barbaric capital punishment, but murderers do increasingly as they have the monopoly on unlawful killing.

The desperate drive for selfish gains is self-defeating. Position, wealth, power and pleasure are all false values. Life can be enriched when individuals, in their rightful pursuit of happiness, are also encompassing someone else's well-being.

K Novak, Kingsley Avenue, Bradford 2.

SIR - I had a bad accident outside Morrisons on Westgate on August 5 and would like to say thank you to everyone who helped me at the scene, as well as all at Bradford Royal Infirmary for the care and attention. Thanks to all concerned in the sheltered housing where I live. God Bless you all.

H Hillam, Moorgate Avenue, Bradford 3