SIR Your Comment (January 2) suggests that many eyebrows no doubt will be raised at the £120,000 salary attached to the post of chief executive of Bradford's Urban Regeneration Company. Mine for example.

As a taxpayer helping to foot this bill, I feel bound to ask how many more of these highly-paid people are to be appointed before we begin to see tangible results to justify their existence. Just one such appointment would be sufficient if he or she could justify the salary by achievement.

So far however, I can see no benefits at all from the various similar appointments made over a long period of time. How long do we have to wait for deeds, not words?

Perhaps your correspondent Mr William Oxley will now add this further appointment to his list if and when he meets with our Council Leader to have the enormous benefits explained to him. We can hardly wait to hear about it!

Donald Wood, Swan Avenue, Bingley

SIR - Re the case of paedophile Peter Francis, a former Cub Scout leader, who received two life sentences recently at Bradford Crown Court for serious sex offences against children.

The sentencing judge said Francis was likely to commit further offences in the future and was a danger to children. He then said he would be able to apply for parole after 5 years.

We can rest assured that after this period of time, the do-gooders and other assorted odd-balls who roam our prisons these days will have written extensive reports describing Francis as "cured" and "low-risk". Then he will probably be released on licence.

What is the point of jailing a dangerous man for life twice over and then allowing possible parole after only 5 years?

The police must be bewildered. Is the law an ass? We surely know the answer.

Mike Naylor, Springmill Street, Bradford 5.

SIR - In response to C Willis's letter "Send them back" (T&A, December 30).

The idea that those fleeing persecution, poverty and misery in their home countries should suffer further as a result of the state's spending priorities and the total lack of compassion exhibited by people like Mr Willis is horrific.

Instead of blaming those who travel to our country fleeing persecution in their own, it might be wiser to look a little closer to home as to why there doesn't appear to be any cash left to pay firefighters a living wage or pensioners a decent pension.

Parliament was happy to vote itself a 40 per cent pay increase, but apparently firefighters don't provide as essential a service as those we have allowed to (mis) represent us.

The State doesn't plead poverty when it comes to war and tax breaks for big business. It's only when people ask that their taxes be spent improving their society and standard of living that the coffers run dry. The longer we spend blaming minorities like asylum seekers and immigrants for our problems, the longer the real culprits, the clique of politicians and bosses who actually run the country, go untouched.

Tom Liddell, Bradford Anarchist Group, Albion Street, Bradford 7.

SIR - I noticed David Barnett's sly dig (T&A, December 17) at those of us who regard the purveyors of extreme political correctness as barmy. The clichd comment 'political correctness gone barmy' might well be overdone, but most of the mainstream can identify with it.

Just after Barnett's comments there was news of the Red Cross banning Christmas Nativity scenes on their displays because it might upset other religions! Full marks to the Muslim leaders who condemned such thoughts.

Considered debate is negated on issues of race simply because of offending the extreme practitioners of PC. The protagonists concerned are usually willing to debate openly on these issues no matter what culture or creed they happen to be.

But there is a growing body of white, middle-class, liberal people who are foisting their minority views on the entire population and being offered lofty positions of influence to do so.

In consequence we are becoming a tight-lipped silent majority afraid to rise above the parapet.

John Masters, Kirk Lane, Yeadon.

SIR - Arriva buses have the monopoly on the Tong Street bus route. On Saturday, the 5.43 bus missed as did the 6.05. We couldn't even try another route.

Is Arriva aware that their service is called public transport? This is not the first time this has happened.

Barbara Haylock, Beacon Road, Bradford 6.

SIR - With regards to the three Americans being killed in Yemen, many leaders and organisations will condemn this killings due to fear of Big Brother America, which says it is despicable act.

Though my heart goes out to the families in question, since America has been killing thousands of loved ones of the Yemeni people to rob their country's resources with the help of their allies, especially Britain, I wouldn't blame the people who take revenge against it or defend themselves or their country with the means and methods they can use.

Israel and India have also been killing innocent Palestinian and Kashmiri children, men and women with America's support and encouragement.

Furthermore I wouldn't blame Iraqis if they would do the same since they have been suffering due to big brother's bullying, cowardly and despicable acts for more than a decade and their country and loved ones are still at risk without any reason.

Mubarik Iqbal, Oulton Terrace, Bradford 7

SIR - On Christmas Day the world witnessed another shocking attack on Christian women, children and old people in Pakistan.

In Chuyyanwali village near the town of Daska, four Muslim militants including a Muslim cleric threw chemical grenades into the Presbyterian Christian Church where nearly a hundred children and women were attending the evening prayer service.

In the attack three Christian girls aged six, nine and 12 were killed while 16 other worshippers were injured. Two remain in a coma. This attack was organised by a Muslim cleric Mohammed Afzal who was running training camps to train young people for Holy warfare. The massacre of the Christians on Christmas Day was a Christmas gift from the new democratic government of Pakistan, which includes religious leaders and politicians who are under the wing of Muslim extremists.

Pakistan's churches and Christians are identified with the United States and Great Britain in Pakistan. The Asian Christians in the UK and ten million Christians in Pakistan are concerned and afraid that such non-Islamic attitudes of the Muslim majority will promote more killing of Christians if western countries attack Iraq.

We ask the British people and good Muslims in the UK to put pressure on the government of Pakistan to stop this madness.

G Dutt, chairman Pakistan Asian Christian Welfare Organisation, Armidale Way, Bradford.

SIR - Why is the district's new "cultural consortium" (T&A, December 31) to be accountable to the unaccountable Bradford Vision? Why was there no room on the 19-strong executive board of the Capital of Culture "people's bid" for even one elected representative of the people? Was vox pop the missing ingredient?

Whatever's going on behind all those closed doors, I do hope they know what's good for us.

Jim Flood, Redburn Drive, Shipley.