Letters to the Editor

Because of all this we spent a considerable sum of money on a CCTV camera. At about 4.30am on June 18 a nice man decided to break into our car causing damage of £150 to the lock and stealing some items from the glovebox.

Luckily it was all caught clearly on our camera. Unluckily for our neighbourhood we did not get any footage of the damage caused to at least two other cars and one house. We now have a lovely collection of five crime numbers (not including the neighbours') which the police don't seem to have done much about.

There is no police presence in our area of Thornton but hopefully now we have good, clear evidence of the culprit something may be done - we can only hope as the video is now in their hands.

Matthew Morley, Hill Top Road, Thornton.

SIR - So we are left in no doubt which side of the regional assembly argument the T&A will be taking.

You publish an article quoting three individuals in favour of an assembly and one organisation in favour of a referendum on the subject, with only two individuals against, but still headline the article "No Minister".

You then write a leader opposing an assembly including the assertion, which you must know to be untrue, that an assembly would leave Bradford with "much of its remaining powers effectively stripped away".

The T&A is entitled to take a partisan view, despite its claims to political neutrality, but ought to pay at least some respect to the ideas of fair and truthful reporting.

Alun Griffiths, Coach Lane, Bradford 13

l EDITOR'S NOTE: Our report represented the balance of the responses we received when we asked local people whether they wanted a regional assembly. There were more we did not have room to publish. Of those we spoke to in the street, we published nine responses: seven against, one neutral and only one in favour - the only person we could find who gave a positive response. The main report featured three politicians against and three in favour but the responses published the previous day and, indeed, since have been very clearly opposed to Mr Prescott's plans, easily justifying the headline. Our news coverage has merely reflected what we've found. In our clearly marked Comment column, we have made plain our opposition to the plans on the district's behalf since they were first revealed many months ago. We stand by our assertion that Bradford Council will lose effective control of much of its decision-making power because an assembly will - among others - be able to decide where regeneration cash goes, where new jobs are created and it will have the veto over major planning decisions.

SIR - I am pleased with the interest shown in the proposed cross-city rail link, but some readers have misunderstood the proposal. There is no plan to connect the stations and I don't know that there ever has been. It would have been no use to the rival rail companies.

The Midland Railway Co wanted their own line from Dewsbury to pass alongside the Exchange Station in a short tunnel, then across the city centre on a viaduct to Forster Square Station, which was to be elevated to match the height of the viaduct.

This plan was dropped because the Midland and Bradford Corporation failed to agree on the share of funding required for raising the station.

All that is required now is a heavy rail link from the Interchange, crossing the city centre on a viaduct and joining the rail line beyond Forster Square Station.

Forget tunnels and tram and bus links. These suggestions are a diversion from what has long been required for the benefit of Bradford.

K Ellison, Verdun Road, Bradford 6.

SIR - Oh dear, Mubarik Iqbal really doesn't like us much (T&A, June 16). The anger is raw to the point of incoherence.

President Bush and doubtless the vast majority of us apparently equally-hated British really would like Israel and Palestine to co-exist as peacefully independent states. He and we appreciate that this happy state of affairs would strip away the big excuse for the battier manifestations of fundamentalist Islam. Getting the "roadmap" to point the way somewhere other than down a blind alley will, however, be tricky. It will involve waiting for the electoral demise of the loathsome Sharon and for a Palestinian hard nut willing to stamp on the suicide-murderers.

Add a few tens of billions of dollars to move the Jewish West Bank settlers to the appropriate side of the pre-1967 boundaries, turn Jerusalem into an open city where the UN's HQ could be re-sited to indulge in its contemptible babble of Babel on a cheaper piece of real estate than Manhattan and, hey presto, we'd see how peace-loving "modern" Islam really is.

Unfortunately I have a hunch Mrs Iqbal would come up with something else to keep the pot boiling.

M Pollard, Moorfield Drive, Baildon.

SIR - In reply to Mr J R Smith's letter of June 12. Our Forum is networking with all the agencies, both locally and nationally, that are working on behalf of pensioners. In addition, we have produced a policy document inviting all groups to send representation to form a steering group to set up a Bradford Pensioners' Parliament. This requires a base and funding.

With the help of a number of local agencies, and the foresight of Social Services, a venue has been provided at St George's Hall for pensioners twice weekly.

Mr Smith would be well advised to make an appearance where he could access information, including our Policy Document, through the services of volunteers and ourselves.

Audrey Rastrick, Forum Focussed on Pensioner Power, Westgate, Victoria Road, Bradford 2.

SIR - Regarding the report (T&A on June 10) concerning so-called asylum seekers.

Why does the Bishop of Bradford think we are failing them? We are under no obligation to help these people, at least 90 per cent of whom are in England to milk the system.

This country and especially Bradford is full up. It's about time our Government called a halt to a situation which has got out of hand.

Michael Breen, Bolton Hall Road, Wrose, Bradford.