SIR - My dad says there's no better place than Bradford to spend a sunny summer's day. Despite that, my sister and I convinced him to take us to Leeds on Wednesday so we could see some of the attractions at Roundhay Park.

We started off at Tropical World where we saw huge butterflies, pygmy monkeys, snakes and all sorts of fish. It was great! It got even better when the large iguana escaped! Mum was pleased because she spotted a "City of Bradford Rose" in the gardens at Tropical World.

We were all looking forward to cooling off on the Roundhay Park lakes but dad couldn't find the boating house. He asked one of the park attendants who said they didn't have any boats on the lake. No boats on the lake!

But we have them at Lister Park and they're really popular and great fun as well! I think my dad was right - them folk in Leeds don't know what they're missing!

Adam Ramadan (aged 4), Ayat Hannah (2), Nuh Mujahid (eight months), Rossefield Road, Bradford 9.

SIR - Judging by the protests at the proposed location of children's homes, one would suppose it was retired jailbirds who were being catered for rather than supervised children.

Whatever the location it will be met by NIMBY protests.

Where are the children to be placed? Out on the moors away from amenities? The Council has a duty to care for the children and is entitled to a civilised response.

Bernard Whittaker, Scott Lane West, Riddlesden.

SIR - Re the letter from Mrs Wood (August 15) regarding the police response to Queensbury. I'm not able to comment about Mrs Wood's comments about the tactics of the officers deployed except to say I have had a very favourable response from many people I have spoken to and not one complaint.

The additional policing has been a direct response to heightened community fears following the recent unrelated serious incidents in the village.

Those additional officers were provided from the force reserve which is available to ensure we have sufficient organisational flexibility to meet operational demands. Six people were arrested on the first evening and all has been quiet since.

Both the force resources and my own divisional numbers are indeed stretched. Despite that, I have ensured that Queensbury has its own Community Beat Officer, PC Ackroyd, and a year ago we were able to re-open the Queensbury Community Contact point at a cost of £16,000 (paid for from my budget, not through public donation as I frequently hear people say).

Additionally, since April, through the Neighbourhood Renewal Funding, officers have spent an extra 250 patrol hours exclusively in Queensbury.

I am committed to ensuring Queensbury receives a good policing service and that's why we are working with the local authority and other agencies to improve the environment and reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.

Chief Supt Phil Read, Divisional Commander, Bradford North Division.

SIR - For a number of months now, we have been made aware of the concerns of some Queensbury residents as regards the apparent lack of policing in this area. Indeed, I believe residents have made excellent links establishing a reporting office with full police accessibility.

Mrs L Wood's letter (August 15) shows a remarkable lack of understanding and proves that whatever the police do, there are always those ready to criticise. She complains because 20 officers and two cars were there as the pubs shut and that their high profile was "I am God."

Get real Mrs Wood! You deserve a police presence yet when precious resources were given to your neighbourhood, no doubt to the detriment of other areas of Bradford, you still moan!

Do you want a presence or not? You can't have it both ways and look fondly back to when a sergeant and four policemen lived and worked in the community.

If you are so concerned, I suggest you join the WYP Volunteers group and do something positive to help the police in your community.

J P Townsend, Heaton Park Drive, Bradford.

SIR - How dare Gerry Sutcliffe (pictured) accuse Bradford Council of going through the motions of consultation and then saying the decision has been taken behind closed doors? (Letters, August 13).

This is the handsomely-paid Labour MP (not to mention his wonderful pension entitlements) who watched as his Government "put out to consultation" the proposals for yet another layer of bureaucracy in the name of regional government. The responses gave a definite "thumbs down" to either an assembly or a referendum about it.

Yet guess who knows best? Well of course this Labour Government, if the early soundings are correct, is going to press ahead with the referendum idea despite a majority against.

And he has the nerve to knock Bradford Council for ignoring "the public". Wow, how the words, "pot", "kettle" and "black" come to mind!

Coun Roger Taylor (Northowram and Shelf ward, Calderdale),Glen Terrace, Halifax.

SIR - M P Thompson (Letters, August 12) criticises me for writing that "genes, chromosomes and hormones account for everything in life, the world and the universe." Just one small quibble - I wrote nothing of the kind.

All I actually said was that these three factors control a person's sexuality. No more than that. Then Mr Thompson drifts even further towards the shores of Fantasy Island by trumpeting his possession of an immortal soul. Some kind of extended warranty on his life, I reckon.

The drawback with extended warranties is that they tend not to be worth the paper they're written on and in this case I fear that applies with knobs on!

No, Mr T, the only immortality anyone can aspire to lies in the memories of those who knew you and in the legacy of any worthwhile things you may have achieved in life.

Because, as the Prince of Denmark said, "the rest is silence."

Peter Wilson, Thornhill Grove, Calverley.

SIR - Few who watched the recent TV documentary about the Great War could have failed to recognise the selfless courage and sacrifice made by the men and women of this country in the defence of British values and a way of life.

But 85 years on, and with a divided, multi-racial Britain, now the biggest floating asylum camp in the world, I wonder not only if their sacrifice was worth it, but just how many of them, given the chance again, would make the same decision?

Would they as patriots and heroes have been fooled by the modern liberal nation that all asylum seekers are "victims" fleeing persecution, all desperate to contribute to Britain's economic future?

Presumably these "contributions" will come after they have "milked" the system of benefits, added to the burdens faced by the over-stretched NHS, and worsened already existing ethnic divisions and over crowding.

Consecutive governments have insisted on a completely inept policy of open immigration. When will they realise that the system is in turmoil. There are too many immigrants here already!

A J Clarke, Halifax Road, Bradford 6.

SIR - As a little squirt during the Second World War, I recall being taught some words to "Colonel Bogey" which revealed some not-too-flattering details about the personal physical characteristics of the leaders of the Third Reich.

To my shame I can still recall them but for the life of me can't trace the words of a much more pleasant Victorian ballad entitled "On Wings of Song". Can any reader help please? I'd be most grateful.

Sid Brown, Glenhurst Road, Shipley (Tel: 01274 587249).

SIR - Leeds City Station is the second busiest station in the country outside London. I once heard a station employee there "lament" that there were more trains to Bradford than anywhere else.

Add to this all the station stops on the Airedale and Wharfedale lines within the Bradford Metropolitan area and you can only conclude that we are well served.

Iain Morris, Caroline Street, Saltaire.