Letters to the Editor

Due to the LEA's mistake of reopening Thorpe School as a primary and creating a surplus of pupil places, Parkland is being victimised! My daughter attends nursery at Parkland and moves to reception in September; my son will join next year.

The thought of them settling in, only for the school to close by September 2004, appals me! Parkland accommodates all its children in the main building, with room to spare, it has large grounds with grassed areas, is set away from the roadside, excels in education standards and has a fantastic reputation. Isn't the welfare of children a top priority? Obviously not.

Thorpe is in a busy village, surrounded by shops and pubs, next to a main road, has small grounds, and hasn't been open long enough to gain a reputation. Given the facts, 270 attending Parkland and 40 attending Thorpe, there is no contest.

If Parkland closes, it will be a devastating mistake. What a shame Thorpe reopened. Sadly, if we wanted our children to attend Thorpe, we would have sent them there in the first place.

Julie Lee, Orchard Grove, Thorpe Edge.

SIR - The column by Catherine Flaherty ("Voice of Youth" June 26) is certainly thought-provoking, and the young lady is to be commended for reaching through a very thorny topic to grasp at a nettle. She faces up to the fact that in an abortion a life is lost.

If we look at the demographic problems that we have in this country at present, an ageing population for instance, one could infer that the population would not be ageing so quickly if there were fewer abortions carried out.

We are losing about 200,000 babies each year and this figure is significant in affecting the relationship between the working population and the retired population.

The next time we go to see a doctor and are told that there isn't one available and ask "why?", the answer may be that he/she was aborted! The same reason could apply to "worker shortages" in all walks of life.

The effects are substantiated by the Government's present efforts to recruit assistance from abroad, and this, in its way, deprives foreign countries of their key workers too.

J Boylan, Marsh Street, Bradford 5.

SIR - Last Tuesday I very carelessly left my purse on a windowsill in the main reception area at the Bradford Royal Infirmary. It contained my credit cards and rather a large amount of money and when I discovered I had lost it, I had absolutely no hope of finding it.

However, on phoning the BRI, to my enormous surprise and relief, I found that it had been handed in, intact.

Unfortunately the gentleman who found it did not leave his name or telephone number so the only way I can hope to reach him in order to thank him is through the T&A.

So, to the very honest and kind gentleman, may I express my heartfelt thanks, not only for retrieving my purse, but also for providing proof that whatever we see on television and read in our newspapers to the contrary, there are scrupulously honest, kind and helpful people around, and I was so fortunate that this particular gentleman happened to be in the BRI last Tuesday morning.

Mrs J Bibby, Greenacres Avenue, Halifax.

SIR - At the next election I shall vote only for the party that pledges to do the following:

1. Give the nation and people of England equality with all others in the UK and the EU, for example the installation of an English National Parliament;

2. Withdraw all British forces from abroad other than for training purposes and station them around our own air and sea ports and other vulnerable areas;

3. Scrap all social benefits, financial and material, to all foreigners until they have lived, worked and paid taxes here for a minimum of five years;

4. Withdraw the licences allowing supermarkets to sell alcohol. It's the main cause of junior crime.

Eric Firth, Wellington Street, Wilsden.

SIR - Lots of people worked hard on the Holme Wood estate for better housing and environment, and it was lovely, with nice houses, play parks and green recreation fields.

Sadly now most play areas are demolished through vandalism, and lovely gardens and fields are once again dumping grounds.

I did hope with wardens and clean-up gangs now on the estate that things would be better. So I'm rather annoyed that I and neighbours have to keep ringing the Council to have rubbish cleared - not only ours but other people's.

We had a shopping trolley full of old carpets, tree stumps and crates of beer bottles left for approximately two months at the entrance to the recreation field behind my house. The Council have cleared it now but I had to ring them first.

I would also like to know what the plans are now for the sites of the old Vulcan Street clinic and the play areas long ago demolished.

And what became of the money earmarked for a full-size football pitch that was promised in the Regeneration last time? Does anyone know?

Catherine Alderson, Holme Wood, Bradford.

SIR - In response to Jeff Fox's letter (T&A June 27) regarding Geoffrey Richmond. It's only rats that leave a sinking ship. Richmond is re-floating it.

Who are you going to support now?

W Todd, Chellow Street, Bradford.

SIR - For many years I have been a supporter of Bradford's Rugby League team. My grandfather and my dad watched them play at Birch Lane before they moved to Odsal.

Personally I believe that Odsal Stadium could and should replace Wembley as the main sporting arena in the country.

Bradford Bulls ought to have a stadium they can be proud of. They certainly deserve this, they are Super League champions.

The people in charge such as the Council, chairman and directors of the club should all get their heads out of the sand, pull their fingers out and give the players and their supporters a ground they can be proud of.

They could probably approach the Lottery. You never know, they could succeed.

Marjory Bland, Williams Road, Steeton, Keighley.

SIR - The inevitable reoccurrence of yet another accident on the very much mis-guided bus route is there for all to see.

Have the public vehicle hierarchy any common sense when it comes to calling a spade a spade? I for one would be very interested to know whose balmy idea it was to install this feature on Manchester Road in the first place. Even people with little interest in these matters said it was a bad idea from the start.

Money apart, what difference has this scheme made? I personally will not even chance going to the isolated bus stop. Mr Hussain calls it an unfortunate accident (again) and says anything that can be done will be done.

I know what can be done, except for electrifying the rails or putting another six foot on top and guarding the crossing with "lollipop" type people: admit this bus route will continue to cause accidents, probably deaths.

I say pull the plug on it (as if it will make any difference) and use the bus lane for the emergency services.

Kenneth E Higgins, Carr Bottom Grove, Little Horton.

SIR - Would you kindly let me point out the true facts concerning the EU.

In August 2000, the EU court of auditors refused to pass the commission's accounts for the sixth year running, due to fraud and incompetence. They said for that year, £1.1 billion had been misspent.

But the unelected, virtually unsackable commission are secure in their positions of power. Article 12 of chapter five of the protocol on the privileges and immunities of the EU provides a blanket, lifetime immunity to all EU officials. So they cannot be prosecuted for fraud.

Furthermore, article one, chapter one, of the same protocol states that their buildings and premises cannot be searched or examined.

Who made these laws to protect the commission and their officials? They did.

No wonder Labour wants the euro. What a birthday they would have!

A Clarke, Calverley Bridge, Rodley, Leeds.