Letters to the Editor

The Council claims "it has no money" to pay for this and at least a dozen other disabled people's needs. Why are taxes paid? Is it simply to subsidise Council fat cats or pay for unnecessary "sculptures" around the city, or even to pay for asylum seekers, legal or otherwise.

It's a shame when a lady of her age, who I have no doubt has paid taxes etc over the years, is told she should move simply so she may have personal hygiene. I'm sure we could forego something that public taxes pay for so Mrs Harrison can stay in her home.

C Walker, Longfield Drive, Dudley Hill, Bradford 4.

SIR - I am always bemused by the touching faith shown by capital punishment buffs such as S Ratcliffe (Letters, January 13) in the belief that their goal can ever be achieved.

Without wishing to enter the arguments for or against the death penalty, its possible return makes speculating on the resurgence of the dodo seem a pretty safe bet.

Mr Ratcliffe and those of similar persuasion would find it far more rewarding directing their energies towards those aspects of the criminal justice system where reforms are realistically attainable, rather than indulging in self-deluding wishful thinking, and feasting on large slices of pie in the sky.

Peter Wilson, Thornhill Grove, Calverley.

SIR - I was under the impression that the REGEN 2000 initiative under way on Barkerend Road was there to improve the quality of life, create jobs, reduce crime, etc. What has the "cleansing" of stone walls to make them look appealing and rebuilding garden walls got to do with any of the issues?

The money needs to be spent building education for the deprived communities, educating the youngsters, creating youth centres to keep kids off the streets. We need to spend the money on creating a better environment and community by education and helping the deprived. Only then will the living standards rise and make the area better, not through making buildings look nice because it's the gateway to the city.

Mohammed Latif, Carrington Street, Bradford.

SIR - How pleased I was to read Daniel Penn's letter regarding Sir Ken Morrison and his millions (January 14). I thought I was the only person in Bradford who felt a certain animosity towards him. For many years now I have not bought from his stores, preferring to shop at my local Co-op. I refuse to add to Morrison's millions.

I feel he has made his money on the back of Bradford people. Does he put anything back into this city and its people apart from providing work?

In the same edition of the T&A I read about Tesco donating to a Bingley charity to help blind and visually impaired children. Does Sir Ken Morrison, right, ever make such donations?

Carole Ver, Allerton Road, Bradford 15

SIR - I am among those who are appalled at the thought of the proposed changes to our beautiful City Hall. Do these people never learn?

We do not want our City Hall changing, as we did not want all our lovely buildings such as Swan Arcade, Mechanics Institute, Kirkgate Market and the likes pulled down. But did the powers-that-be listen? No.

Our remaining Victorian buildings should be preserved, as Leeds have done with theirs.

Yes make City Hall more accessible to the people of Bradford. But why do they need to change the look of this beautiful building?

Please leave it as the architects intended it to be.

I bet if there was a vote by the Bradford people, for the Bradford people, the City Hall would be kept just as it is. Hands off.

Dianne Brewster, West End Tavern, West End, Queensbury.

SIR - What a funny little letter from D Burnett of Great Horton (Letters, January 10). "What proceedings can be taken with regards to people pestering us daily to buy our houses?" he asks of Lord Ouseley. I lived in Great Horton until recently, and the only time I was "pestered" with people trying to buy my house, I had a "For Sale'" board up outside.

Helen Coates, Stoneleigh, Queensbury

SIR - May I suggest a simple solution to the problem of passive smoking: that architects and builders install a duct in the ceilings of houses and particularly public buildings, with may be a mini pump to draw the smoke and gases away. With central heating we do not have air circulation as in the old days.

Bernard Whittaker, Scott Lane, West, Riddlesden.

SIR - When Mr I Khan suggested that the Silent Majority should look to their laurels in regard to opposing the so-called Racial Justice group, he couldn't have got it more right. The mainstream population have always been a little reticent in fighting their corner for "real" justice. I've been as guilty as most in a society that fears the enforcers of political correctness. Luckily, some of those that do stand up to be counted in Bradford enhance your excellent readers' forum.

It is vital they keep at it to counterbalance the readers like self-confessed anarchist Mr Tom Liddell who apparently regards all asylum seekers to this country as genuine, and the entertaining Mrs Iqbal who uses her unique brand of kindergarten politics to insult all non-Muslims.

I wonder how Mr Liddell regards those asylum seekers who dabble with terrorism in this country?

Nancy Shields, Moore Avenue, Wibsey.

SIR - Re Mike Priestley's article (January 4) describing resentment about the presence of asylum seekers in Bradford. If we generalise about whole groups of unfamiliar people, it's easy to sustain negative suspicions, which if repeated by others, quickly become "true." Mike doesn't mention that asylum seekers are not allowed to work for at least six months, and maybe never. What a crazy policy! A friend in this position does voluntary work in a hospice because she wants to contribute something to this country.

She escaped from a repressive regime which persecutes or kills pro-democracy workers like herself, but she knows that her chances of acceptance here are not good.

D Robinson, Oak Mount, Bradford.

SIR - Martin Palliser rightly stated that Bradford Council must get a grip on the situation whereby businesses are threatening to leave because of the crime and litter in Leeds Road and similar areas.

However, as a report in the T&A that very day made clear, the Council has other priorities. It is looking to pander to the 3,500 asylum seekers dumped on this already volatile city by the Blair government, in line with the "Community Cohesion" plan produced to please the politically-correct gauleiter for Bradford, Lord Ouseley.

Once again, it seems the interests of the majority - indeed, to any sane person, the communal interest of all Bradfordians - comes second to pandering to minorities, in this case to those who have never contributed anything to this country.

Ian Sykes, Guernsey Road, Croftlands, Dewsbury

SIR - Having just read Dr Joan Giller's letter (January 15) condemning Mike Priestley's article on asylum seekers drawing benefits he is only saying what the majority of this country thinks but are too scared to express, for do-gooders are in defence of these people. We have hospitals, schools, old people's homes and people still sleeping rough who need extra funding but are unable to get it.

There is no valid reason for asylum seekers to be here as they have passed through EU countries to get here. These countries have offered homes etc but because benefits are better here that is the reason Britain is now invaded.

Mrs B E Erderlyi, Todwell Lane, Bradford 5.

SIR - The cold-blooded murder of the policeman in Manchester once again highlights the exploitation of asylum and immigration laws by terrorist organisations. Tony Blair and his Labour party cronies have betrayed the indigenous population by loosening immigration laws to a scandalous level.

Illegal immigrants, terrorists or otherwise, should be hunted down and deported without delay before we are the victims of something on the scale of 9/11.

The National Lottery, the Red Cross and any other organisation that either helps people enter the country or assists in fighting deportations should be boycotted.

Our armed forces should be at our borders protecting our interests instead of helping George Bush in his quest for world domination.

I Khan, Leylands Lane, Bradford

SIR - Mike Priestley's article on asylum seekers in the Darley Street post office was a good piece of journalism. I entirely agree with it but I see the bleeding-heart do-gooders were defending the asylum seekers again on the day when a Special Branch officer was killed.

All this is because of the Government's incompetent immigration policy, Bush's belligerent attitude towards the Arabs, and the bully-boy Israelis.

N Brown, Peterborough Place, Undercliffe