Let's realise the worth of lollipop men

SIR, - I was interested to read about the traffic problems faced by Pool Primary School, Guiseley School, Tranmere Park Primary School and Greenmeadows School and the need for pedestrian crossings. I was also interested to read about the retirement of lollipop man William Shears.

Lollipop men do have a difficult and dangerous job and often do not get the recognition they deserve. The majority of motorists in this country drive safely and sensibly but unfortunately there is a minority, who drive dangerously and recklessly.

This is why we need speed humps and more speed humps and more speed cameras. In Sheffield 15 children were knocked down outside school gates, which led them to launch the school gate safety campaign.

This encourages motorists not to drive up to the school entrance, because of the risk of knocking down small children.

Wouldn't it be safer for our children, if more parents walked to school or used public transport? Leeds City Council have had difficulty recruiting enough lollipop men.

One of the reasons for this is part time work does not pay for people on benefits.

Anything a single claimant earns above £5 they lose from their job seekers allowance. The government need to reform the benefit system to make part time work pay.

Mick Beaty

7 Holt Farm Close

Holt Park

Leeds.

Carnival thanks

Sir, - If you would be so kind to allow me to thank a number of people for their support for the Yeadon Carnival which was a great success thanks to them and the wonderful weather and entertainment provided.

We were disappointed that local garages were unable to provide a car for the carnival queen and her attendants but thankfully local resident Jan Nulty kindly stepped in and chauffered them.

Dragons Health Club sponsored the carnival banner; Yeadon Royal Mail Sorting Office delivered over two thousand handbills; McFarlanes provided lorries for the procession and the stage; Simply Flowers provided the headdresses and posies for the carnival queen and attendants and Dress Circle loaned us a crown.

Despite this being a hastily arranged event we showed what could be achieved with support and dedication from those involved.

A big thank you to everyone involved.

Footnote -It appears the trophy for Best Commercial Float/Window Display has not been engraved since 1994!

If anyone knows who the recipients were for the following five years could they either let us know through this paper or contact Steve Maw (Carnival Organiser) tel: 0794 115 3654 so we can make the nevessary arrangements to update the trophy.

Steve Maw,

Yeadon Carnival Organiser.

NHS home truths

SIR, - British Medical Association chairman Dr Ian Bogle certainly told the Tories some home truths.

He said they were suffering amnesia over the 18 year wrecking spree of the NHS, and they rubbish every move the government makes to disguise their own dearth of ideas.

He praised Labour's extra money and criticised Tory prophets of doom, claiming the spending had delivered nothing.

He added 'much has been used to pay off debts and wipe out deficits built up while they (The Tories) ran the NHS into the ground'.

Left behind was a system down on its knees from bed closures, Tory leader writers should contact Dr Bogle if they choose to be critical of the NHS and its running. Well said the BMA.

F Dickinson

Larkfield Road

Rawdon.

Duck the issue

SIR, - Have our food producers learned nothing? After bringing us cannibalism, BSE, Salmonella, E Coli and antibiotic resistant killer bugs, they've done it again.

They're promoting duck as the new healthy meat, and local supermarkets are going along with it. In fact, it is almost all factory farmed, and unbelievably cruel.

Farm ducks are mostly close relatives of mallards, the crown ducks and green headed drakes we see on every pond, tarn and river. Like them, they have evolved to eat swim, dive and clean and play in water. Water is the basis of their life.

In today's stinking factory farms where 10,000 birds are often crammed into one shed, they never see water, except in their drinkers. Also like their wild cousins, they would love to fly at 50mph, to choose a mate and to live 15 years or more.

Fly? Some will hardly walk because of leg deformities. There is no mating and life ends brutally after seven weeks.

Many will be fully conscious when their throats are cut. Not only is factory farming of ducks immoral, it is almost certainly illegal. How long can we continue to allow animals to be treated as though they were nothing more than pieces of machinery, and for government to defend it?

Happily, we can help restore freedom to these wonderful birds by refusing to buy the meat, complaining to any store which sells it and by supporting both VIVA's Ducks out of Water Campaign and Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) principles. VIVA can be contacted at 12 Queen's Square, Brighton. BN1 3FD.

Sylvia Richards

Wheatley Grove,

Ben Rhydding