Letters to the Editor

Every salesperson in Bradford must surely want Coun Ward as their manager.

"Missed your sales target by miles? Never mind, I'll lower it and here's the bonus payment you never earned!"

I'm a parent, school governor and Council Tax payer and the word that comes to my mind is betrayal: a betrayal of every child and teacher in Bradford's schools.

This decision is an admission of defeat from an administration that lacks direction and conviction, whose only accomplishments are to praise mediocrity and forever lower expectations.

Every parent wants the best for their child: the best school, the best start in life that we can possibly give them. Bradford Council and Serco clearly do not share our aspirations. We can and must do better.

Andrew Thornton, Beechwood Road, Wibsey.

SIR - Phil Boase (Letters, August 6) castigates Mubarik Iqbal for writing "rubbish" then goes on to write, "without a doubt, weapons of mass destruction will be found."

Well, this little item almost went off the scale of my personal rubbishometer, particularly now that the two principal investigators of the misbegotten adventure in Iraq are both furiously back-pedalling on this very point.

Mind you, people have gone to their graves convinced that Elvis is selling the Big Issue in Darley Street. So maybe Mr Boase is merely continuing a long and honourable tradition of believing in the totally unbelievable.

Peter Wilson, Thornhill Grove, Calverley.

SIR - I am writing to draw your intention to the current policies and targets regarding replacement wheeled bins.

My bin was stolen just before I moved into a rented house, and I contacted Bradford Council to get a replacement. I was told it would cost £29 and would take seven to ten days after they received the money.

Shortly afterwards, I heard that the Council now had to stop charging people for bins. I phoned again and this time was told it would take six to eight weeks!

After about five weeks of no bin, the weather was heating up. Cats were tearing open the plastic rubbish bags we put outside and there were bones, maggots and worms all over the street!

On several occasions I phoned the Council, only to be told that I was on a waiting list and that they couldn't tell me when to expect a bin, but that my wait did not exceed their "target".

I work for a company that delivers products the next day after a customer orders. I don't expect such service from the Council, but having to wait 80 times longer is ridiculous. Seven-to-ten days sounds like a more reasonable target. What do you think?

Tim Barnard, Ashmount, Great Horton.

l Damian Fisher, Principal Cleansing Officer for Bradford Council, said: "This year the Government has made an extra £140 million available to local authorities across the country for recycling initiatives. Unfortunately this has led to a shortage of wheelie bins with manufacturers unable to meet the increase in demand. We have had problems getting supplies through and this has caused delays in delivering them to local residents.

"We are expecting our next delivery of bins within the next few days and will start distributing them as soon as possible. It is our intention to get through the backlog of deliveries within two weeks of the bins arriving at the depot. We apologise for the delays and any problems this has caused."

SIR - Re the new Bradford Community Housing Trust group. Earlier in the summer tenants were invited to take an active part in the running of these new Trust boards.

There were vacancies for five tenants on each board. "No experience needed, training will be given."

The new groups are multi-million pound concerns. Who will train the tenant volunteers? What will be their role? How is it going volunteer-wise to date where tenants are involved? Have any unforeseen snags or pitfalls come to light? Am I the only tenant to be concerned?

S Walsh, Church Street, Bingley.

SIR - Who said that Islam was an out-of-date religion? Muslims have had their consciences over interest charged on a mortgage put to rest by simply calling it rent.

And keeping abreast of modern technology, it's now legal for a Muslim man to divorce his wife by text message.

When will Western religion catch up?

Gary Lorriman, North Walk, Long Lane, Harden.

SIR - I was interested to see the letter from Marjorie Robinson regarding Bradford's missing rose.

I have had this rose growing in my garden for a number of years. Although the bush is getting a bit old it is quite healthy and still flowering.

It is true that many people do not know a Bradford rose exists and usually think I am joking. I have always assumed that there would be some of these roses bushes planted around City Hall and Cartwright Hall.

I have a City of Bradford china mug which is decorated with the Bradford rose.

Margaret Denison, Wimborne Drive, Allerton.

SIR - We would like to respond to the report (T&A, August 8) regarding the residents' meeting at East Morton. We feel that it gave undue prominence to a minority view that the organisers of the meeting have tried very hard to dispel.

It has never been the purpose of the campaign to attack the young people who are the proposed residents of the new homes.

Rather we have been dismayed and disturbed by the lack of consultation the Council has allowed the people of East Morton and the complete disregard the Executive Committee showed for the recommendations of their own Scrutiny committee.

Your correspondent quoted three out of 150 people who attended at the meeting on August 7. That does not represent the majority view which is that the Council's procedures have been flawed and should bring the Executive into disrepute.

By Social Services' own criteria, the East Morton site was described in a council document dated March 14, 2003, as "isolated, no amenities, difficult to get to by public transport".

Yet by June 10 it had become one of the top five sites in the region.

The people of East Morton and Bradford deserve to be given an explanation for this bizarre about-turn.

J Hoyes, Thorneycroft Road, East Morton.

SIR - I was happy to see the police presence in Queensbury on Friday, August 1, but disgusted by the bullying tactics they employed as people were leaving the pubs in the village centre.

When the pubs closed and the customers took to the streets, the police moved in. Up to this point there had been no trouble in the pubs or on the streets.

We certainly need police presence in our village, but not the "I am God" tactics as seen on this occasion.

For the record two black marias, two police cars and approximately 15-20 policemen were parked in Queensbury centre on that night.

They tell us their resources are stretched so where did they all come from?

I remember when Queensbury was half the size it is today. Then we had a sergeant and four bobbies who all lived in the village.

Mrs Lesley Wood, Deanstones Lane, Queensbury.

SIR - Re Education Bradford's possible intention to provide bilingual classroom support assistants to help Asian children learn English.

Could I ask any Asian parent who agrees with this proposal why these children are unable to speak English by the time they start school?

I think it is very sad that they have failed their children in this way. Starting school can be a daunting experience and children should not have any unnecessary (and avoidable) problems.

Going to school, especially in the first years, should be fun, interesting and exciting.

Mrs Joan Lumb, Mainspring Road, Wilsden.

SIR - Re the article in your paper on August 6 regarding Pop Idol hope Chris Yate. I saw him when he appeared at rehearsals for Children in Need 1999. He performed like a professional. He impersonated Shirley Bassey and everybody thought it was the real thing. He won the final in Harrogate hands down.

So the demeaning words of Simon Cowell are not justified. I wish he had half the talent that Chris has got. Mind you, he makes a living out of bringing people down.

I wish Chris all the best and hope he does well without the help of this self-centred bigot. Until Pop Idol nobody had ever heard of Simon Cowell before he started being so critical of people.

David Horsfall, Daleside Walk, Parkside.