Letters to the Editor

Denying this development could put Bradford's regeneration back years as this is exactly the kind of publicity that deters businesses from investing in our city.

The councillors' argument that the scheme should include some "affordable" flats is pointless. They know perfectly well that there is already plenty of "affordable" accommodation in Bradford both in the city centre and out of it.

If we want to attract people, new developments, better businesses and retailers, then we need the kind of accommodation for them that was proposed.

I would also like to applaud Councillor Ann Ozolins for voting against the decision and shame on those councillors who abstained. Their votes would have overruled the decision.

To Russell Baker I would just say, please do fight the decision for the development. There are many of us in Bradford who support it.

Shirley James, Bolton Drive, Eccleshill.

SIR - Not for the first time, on reading Mike Priestley's column (August 2) I got the impression he's a touch disenchanted what with one thing and another.

In which case he should spare a thought for Tony Blair and the ordeal he might have to face soon.

No I'm not talking about the Hutton Inquiry but the possibility that on holiday in the Richard Mansion in Barbados he might be subjected to a duet from those loveable songsters Cherie and Sir Cliff.

Can you imagine that wide grin vanishing as they climaxed with 'There ain't no cure for the summertime blues' and he makes his excuses and leaves.

"I'm the PM - get me out of here!"

Sid Brown, Glenhurst Road, Shipley.

SIR - Tony Martin has finally been freed from jail but not without another kick in the teeth from the establishment.

The career criminal who was ransacking his home and has a string of 35 offences including drug smuggling was released after serving only a third of his sentence. Tony Martin was forced to serve his full term.

At the same time two previously law-abiding young rugby league players were given jail sentences of up to 18 months. Their crime? A stupid Saturday-night brawl which came about because of a simple misunderstanding.

As if the British public aren't fed up enough with the crazy goings-on of the clowns in our law-and-order circus, Bradford police tell us they would not bother to collect a clear set of fingerprints from a vandalised car!

Why don't we just throw in the towel, open our doors to the criminals and let them get on with it?

M Wood, Westercroft View, Northowram

SIR - Now, more than ever, there's a need to connect the two railway stations together. You can trace Bradford's decline from the short-sighted decision at the end of the 19th century not to connect them - and while the Forster Square shopping scheme is in limbo, now is the time to provide that link. This is Bradford's last chance.

Philip Hesse, Stonegate Drive, Bradford 10

SIR - May I beg an inch of space to thank everyone who helped to make our recent collection at Morrisons, Thornbury, so successful. Our small but gallant band of loyal collectors were able to raise £386.40 for arthritis research.

Huge thanks to the public for their generous support and to the staff and management of Morrisons for their kind hospitality, and also to our magnificent collectors.

Miss E M Holbrook, Bradford branch Hon Secretary, Arthritis Research Council, Bradford Road, Menston.

SIR - As a second generation Italian/Pole I spoke Italian first, Polish second and finally English at home, so when I started junior school my English was extremely poor.

This in turn made me try all the harder to learn English. I am sure that most Asians and other foreigners alike realise that to progress with a career or business in England, English is paramount.

G Lencki, Sandhill Fold, Idle.

l CLARIFICATION: Gaynor Hunt, of Prospect Road, Bradford 3, asks us to make it clear that she was not the writer of a letter headed "Where's Caroline?" about a street cleaner, which appeared above her name in Thursday's Letters to the Editor page.