Letters to the Editor

SIR, - I refer to your report regarding my resignation from Ilkley Grammar School. I feel I owe it to the community to explain some of the background to the circumstances.

My decision was not taken lightly and was based on a number of compounding factors encompassing many aspects of my working environment and not, as your report may suggest, on my television appearance.

When the programme was recorded, I was absent due to work-related stress and a fractured thumb. The background to the stress is complex. I had, in fact, recently resigned a post of responsibility as a Head of Year.

Two major factors were contributory: the failure of the managers and governors to respond to my warnings of a looming financial crisis, and what I consider to be inadequate future provision for the welfare of both pupils and staff.

Mr Wood was informed of the television appearance, but advised me that he would not make any media statement as he felt that this was a personal issue and not a school one. After consultation with Mr Noble, this stance was changed.

I then became aware through the media that an investigation had started. This was a consequence of Mr Noble's interview with the press when he stated 'we'll be investigating all the circumstances'.

This took place prior to the screening of the programme and gave rise to the speculation by the wider media that my job might be in jeopardy. Mr Wood and Mr Noble were approached and both emphatically stated that the school could not respond until after the programme had been screened.

Mr Noble further advised me: "...one should not assume that comments attributed to individuals by the media, even when represented by quotations, are necessarily the words actually spoken'. It was then confirmed by your newspaper that his initial statement made to you before the screening was, in fact, true.

The manner in which I was being treated, and what I considered to be a lack of regard for staff welfare, had a serious impact on my health and resulted in an extended period of absence.

On a matter of principle, I took the decision to resign, even though Mrs James had made very positive efforts to support my return to work. I felt I could not go back to the school and provide the standard of support and teaching that I had provided in the past.

I offer a sincere apology to all those who may have been offended by my appearance on the programme. There was never any intention to discredit the school. The arrangements for my involvement in Ready Steady Cook were made prior to my absence.

MARIAN PAINTER

PO Box 174,

Ilkley,

LS29 9WY.

Money wasted

SIR, - I see that one more money is to be wasted on traffic control on Skipton Road out of Ilkley.

Why spend money on traffic lights at Victoria Avenue just for a few vehicles that need to turn up there from the Skipton direction.

The cost of the work must run into thousands of pounds; the installation of the lights, the widening of the road to allow traffic not turning right to continue towards Ilkley, the narrowing of the footpath to allow the road to be widened, or the building up of the land to keep the footpath as wide as now.

The alternatives are: Make it 'no right turn' into Victoria Avenue (cost of sign minimal).

A 'give way' to traffic turning right sign on the Ilkley side of Victoria Avenue.

If a 'no right turn' is an option, the road is wide enough at the junction of Skipton Road and Easby Drive to allow a safety area for vehicles wishing to turn right, as there is a central safety area, and still allow the flow of traffic to Ilkley.

The main cause of the backing up of traffic from the Skipton direction is that motorists from the Ilkley direction are reluctant to slow down and allow vehicles to make the right turn. At peak times this causes long queues and further hold-ups in Ilkley.

D H PALMER

Addingham.

Notices astray

SIR, - yet again the notices of bin collection have gone astray. It is not the first time. Prior to Christmas 2000 and 2001 we had notices telling us when our bins would be collected if our collecting day fell during the holiday.

All well and good you might say, but we live in the Craven area it's only the postal area that gives us as West Yorks.,but we are in the BD area so we get the mail shot all the same.

Bradley comes under Keighley postal district which is eight miles away, but we are only two miles from Skipton

I do not blame the post office for these mistakes; it should be up to the council to give out a list where they want notices to go or put notices in the Ilkley Gazette prior to the holiday periods.

JOHN R HOBSON

john.r.hobson@vigin.co.uk

Pharmacy bid

SIR, - I note with disgust the recent upheld objections to Peter Redhead's bid to open a chemist shop within the Springs Lane Medical Centre. I have written to Coun Lexa Robinson and parish clerk Miggy Bailey to urge them to co-ordinate a campaign to reverse the decision and allow Mr Redhead to proceed with his intention. The current facilities provided by Boots and Tesco's pharmacy are far from adequate, but clearly 'money talks'. To get to Boots with a baby in tow is rather like a military manoeuvre as I can't just park outside and dash in.

As for Tesco, their service is appalling and very often I am kept waiting for at least 20 minutes.

Moreover, to get to Tesco's ( have to cross a busy road from the health centre and re-cross it to get back to the car park. It seems ludicrous that Mr Redhead is not allowed to make use of the purpose-built space in the health centre, especially when neither Boots nor Tesco wants it.

It may interest you to know that a very helpful John Earnshaw, of the Bradford Health Authority, advised me that Paul Burns, acting chief executive of the Family Health Services Appeal Authority (the body which upheld objections to Mr Redhead's bid) could be persuaded to reverse his decision without Mr Redhead having to resort to the House of Lords, but clearly Mr Burns would be left with considerable 'egg on face'.

Despite the overwhelming support for Mr Redhead's bid (from Ann Cryer's office, Bradford Health Authority, the Ilkley Gazette, patients, staff and doctors in Ilkley. Coun Robinson and Mrs Bailey), Mr Burns had the audacity to tell me that 'what the people of Ilkley want and what they need are two different things'.

I look forward to hearing that Mr Redhead has 'moved in' in due course.

FIONA MANN

Bouthwaite,

Springfield Mount,

Addingham.

Canine thanks

SIR, - I would like to thank all of your readers for watching the television series about the National Canine Defence League's work called 'A Dog's Life'.

I am delighted to say that the series was very successful. We were thrilled with all of your letters of support for our vital work, the staff at both Leeds and Darlington Rehoming Centres have reported an increase in donations (including dog food) from generous members of the public. More importantly, we also had offers of great new homes for our dogs.

Many people have asked us what happened to the dog, Nancy, who was returned to our Leeds rehoming centre. I am pleased to say that following some training with our staff, she has now successfully been rehomed with a lovely new owner in the Northumberland area.

Thanks again for your support. Best wishes for a Happy and Peaceful New Year.

CLARISSA BALDWIN

Chief Executive,

NCDL,

17, Wakley Street,

London, EC1V 7RQ.

Losing the plot

SIR, - I am at a loss to reconcile the contradiction between our legitimate love of democracy and horror at the level of crime on our city streets with our attitude towards various undoubtedly harsh dictatorships in Africa and the Middle East, where crime is kept to a minimum by severe and justified punishment as a deterrent.

I think perhaps our current wishy-washy politically correct politicians, those products of the 'love and peace' 1960s, have lost the plot completely.

Wouldn't our brave soldiers be better deployed on our urban streets, combating gun crime than wandering the globe alienating Moslems and thus encouraging more terrorism in our own backyard?

Oh, and by the way, let's pay our firefighters what they deserve, as they may be facing some dark times ahead clearing up the aftermath of the inevitable onslaught.

N DRAKE

4 Arncliffe Rose,

Keighley.

Debate needed

SIR, - Immigration is fast emerging as a key political issue as public concern grows about the prospect of a further two million immigrants over the next ten years.

Ten countries aiming to join the European Union by 2004, including the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary, will further add to the total number of new immigrants and asylum seekers currently running at a quarter of a million per year. On top of this it is reckoned that up to one million illegal immigrants are already resident in this country with 72,000 people applying for asylum in 2001, mostly from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Net immigration of 200,000 per annum into one of the most densely populated countries in the world is creating additional development pressures. We already have a severe housing shortage, gridlocked roads, an inefficient railway network incapable of meeting the demand for travel and a shortage of airport capacity requiring new runways which increase air pollution.

These concerns should be the catalyst for a full public debate and yet politicians of all parties have deliberately avoided a subject which affects the very fabric of our society.

This deliberate obfuscation brings politics into disrepute and encourages voter abstention and apathy. The Freedom Association is campaigning for a full and proper public debate on existing and future levels of immigration which is currently the equivalent of a new city the size of Cambridge every six months.

PHILIP J DULY

The Freedom Association,

PO Box 2820, Bridgnorth,

Shropshire, WV16 6YR.