SIR - Your correspondent Victoria Wharfe (T&A Letters, April 8) expresses concern about the human shields still in Iraq. I am glad to reassure her that according to the sporadic communications with Baghdad possible in present circumstances they all appear to be alive and well, including our local heroes John Richardson of Batley and of course Uzma Bashir, who for some reason has inspired the ire of Ian Elsworth (April 9), who wants her to "grow up".

Having worked alongside Uzma for several weeks, and seen what a calm yet passionate influence she was in increasingly difficult circumstances, I'd just like to say that Bradford should be proud of her.

It is typical of this woman that when an American tank targeted the hotel where the shields' office was situated - incidentally killing a Reuters worker - she was immediately out on the street haranguing the tank commander and accusing him of murder. That took real courage.

Meanwhile, thanks to the Anglo-American action, Iraqis are having to barricade themselves in their homes as looters steal heart monitors and incubators from hospitals and irreplaceable artefacts from museums.

The British Government should take immediate action to bring in a United Nations peace-keeping force to replace the law and order they have destroyed.

Karl Dallas, Church Green, Bradford 8

SIR - I agree with Sajid Khan (April 8) about double standards. Anyone who commits treason and goes over to act as a human shield should have their British citizenship taken away and be made to stay in the country that is Britain's enemy, whoever they are, whatever culture they come from.

N Brown, Peterborough Place, Undercliffe.

SIR - John Hall in his simplistic attack on Nancy Shields' assertion that the European Human Rights Act is being abused by criminals reminds me of a desperate politician distorting the rival's view to score petty political points.

His BNP analogy is insulting and utterly misleading, because it is obvious to me that the mainstream masses also resent the spectre of all the asylum cheats in this country.

Please don't make the mistake, Mr Hall, that it is only the Far Right that espouses this view. When one sees public money spent on court cases found in favour of career criminals in the name of this discredited Act, it is time it was banished into the dustbin of liberalism.

This will not leave so-called minorities like me vulnerable to discrimination, because there were safeguards in place before the European Human Rights Act hit the statute books.

It might just save some of the country's money paid in legal costs in the name of wasters.

I often wonder why victims of crime are ignored by this Act when greedy lawyers scramble for the lucrative legal aid.

M Zafar, Fairbank Road, Bradford 8.

SIR - Self-confessed nicotine addict Alan Holdsworth (Letters, April 9) brands as "health Nazis" those of us who do not share his enthusiasm for filling his lungs with frequent doses of carcinogens.

Now I understand, and to some extent sympathise, with his uncontrollable craving for tar-laced nicotine. If this his preferred method of suicide, so be it.

But will he please do it in the privacy of his own home, well away from those not quite so keen on premature and unnecessary death.

Peter Wilson, Thornhill Grove, Calverley.

SIR - I could hardly believe what I was reading in your article about how the Budget affects people (T&A, April 10).

According to the report, Julie Parkinson has vowed to give up cigs. This lady gets about £900 in benefits a month as a full-time carer for her 12-year-old son who is a "chronic asthmatic".

Forgive me for being so blunt, but why is she smoking? Does she not know of the problems smoke can cause asthmatics? Should she have been getting paid for potentially aggravating her son's condition?

Thank you Mr Brown for enabling Ms Parkinson to kick her habit. She should have stopped years ago, or at least when her son became asthmatic, for his sake and not a financial one.

A McGowan, Wyke Lane, Oakenshaw.

SIR - May I thank the media - including the T&A - for the publicity I received regarding my book Bamboo Treadmill. It recorded my experiences as a Far Eastern PoW after the surrender of Singapore in February 1942.

Mike Priestley wrote an excellent article in the T&A about me and of course the book, 60 copies of which I presented to the senior schools and libraries of Bradford Council.

From publicity I received, many people wanted to buy the book. I had 300 copies produced and recently the last copy was sold.

I decided to donate any profit to charities and research organisations. The result: I have sent over £600 to charities in the UK, Malawi and Durban.

I also thank Reids Bookshop, Keighley, for their generosity in selling many books without taking commission and also to my family and friends for the sales interest, and to those who bought them in all part of the North of England.

PS: I started my working life as a copy boy at the T&A in 1927! That was in the editorial where later I was a copytaker for the T&A and the now defunct Yorkshire Observer, and then a reporter!

Harry Franz MBE, Wrose Road, Bradford.

SIR - So the Chief Executive is following the Director of Marketing and jumping rodent-like from the sinking ship. No doubt others will follow, and given the lack of impact of most of them, they will not be missed.

No doubt hundreds of thousands of pounds of our money will be spent replacing them. Given where the best person to run Bradford Vision was found (under the Council's noses) I applaud Gerry Sutcliffe's plea for an internal candidate for the top job. Surely those below have been made ready for this as part of their career development plans!

Councillor Eaton calls Mr Sutcliffe's comments "interference". No, it is just an MP trying to represent and get the best for his constituents, something that most councillors would do well to reflect on.

William Oxley, Beck Lane, Bingley.

SIR - A short time ago you were kind enough to print a request for people who had spent their childhood in an orphanage or the workhouse to share their memories with me. I had a great response and as a result a very interesting book titled "Silent Tears" has been written.

As people in your part of the country will be waiting for the finished product, I would be very grateful if you would let them know that the book can be ordered from me direct at the address below price £6.50 plus £1 p and p (cheques/PO payable to J M Shansky).

As a pensioner whose hobby is writing social history, and who writes, publishes and markets my own books, I am grateful for any help that I receive.

Mrs J M Shansky, 27 Birch Avenue, Penwortham, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 0PB.