SIR - At last, a letter mentioning the proposed mutilation of City Hall by our own councillors and civic leaders! I have been watching closely for some public outrage since the publication of the three designs in question. So far, not a word!

May I add my own words to those of Ian Sykes (of Dewsbury, please note), who appears to agree with me that Bradford Council seem to be run by a set of barbarians.

Please assure me that this beautiful architectural gem of a building is not to be destroyed in the way that the planners and designers were allowed to rape the Wool Exchange in the construction of Waterstones! Tell me I am mistaken in the belief that I read in the same article that "buildings only have a 25-year life expectancy before becoming outmoded and outdated!"

If this is so, when are the demolition experts expected to move in on Bradford Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, York Minster, the Palace of Westminster to name but a few, all slightly older than that?

Congratulations Mr Sykes. But how is it that both you and I, living outside Bradford, should be the only ones so far to have expressed an opinion?

Miss E M Holbrook, Bradford Road, Menston.

SIR - Sid Brown in his letter of December 30 quoted MP Chris Leslie as writing "hunting with dogs has no part in a civilised society".

I take exception to the fact that what Mr Leslie says implies that a considerable section of the population of this country is uncivilised.

I doubt if a young MP has the right to be so critical of his fellow countrymen.

Mrs Hilary Westwood, Old Main Street, Bingley.

SIR - In response to Mr Flood's letter (December 10) titled "Job ad leaves me seeing double", I am writing to clarify the reasons for recruiting a district-wide Marketing & Communications Manager. This is a partnership post, which is based within Bradford Vision, the Local Strategic Partnership.

The aim of the post is to work with communications people from all the key agencies, including the police, health, colleges, University, Learning & Skills Council and others. The aim is not to duplicate but to co-ordinate and ensure that we are not only communicating more effectively within the district but we are more pro-active in communicating with external audiences regionally, nationally and internally.

All the separate agencies, including the Council, have their own internal communications teams, but there is not currently a central person who pulls it all together.

Councillor Margaret Eaton, chairman of Bradford Vision, Mercury House, Manchester Road, Bradford.

SIR - I note that David Barnett is another disciple of the politically correct. In his rant of December 17, he completely misses the point in regard to the mainstream's distrust of the PC movement.

Most people recognise that it is a society's duty to protect the vulnerable and persecuted. But the PC movement lost all credibility with its many excesses. It has stifled debate on all things racial, and has given the idealists in power a crazy agenda for dishing out the grants.

Why are we so bad at cricket? I remember the PC thought machine in the early 1980s deciding that cricket was an elitist sport in schools, and competitive sport of all codes was bad for children.

We then saw the destruction of team sports in schools and the prevailing hooliganism alternative.

Mr Barnett does not begrudge Bradford's asylum seekers free head massages and aromatherapy. Fair enough!

But try telling that to the little old lady who has waited in vain a couple of years for a vital eye operation.

The money might come from a different purse, but somewhere down the line it will come from our hard-earned taxes.

D Ledgard, Bolton Lane, Bradford 2.

SIR - History was made this week. For the first time in living memory, nobody resident in Bradford Metropolitan District was mentioned in the Honours List.

Surely it is time someone spoke up for the worthy citizens of Bradford. They do exist.

Derek R Crabtree, Norman Lane, Bradford 2