SIR - Regarding your recent reports about stolen paving stones. Here in Greengates this kind of theft has been going on for ages. One house on New Line has had its entire front yard stripped of valuable Yorkshire flagstones over a period of two weeks. Many other properties have had part of their walls removed.

Who is buying this stone? Are the police checking out stone merchants and the like? There has also been an increase in other types of crime. Much of this is never reported to the police and I think I know why.

The best the police seem to do is issue a crime number. Very rarely do you get the privilege of an officer making a visit.

I don't think it will be very long before you telephone the police and hear the message "Please press 3 for a crime number."

The only police presence down here are the recently-installed "sleeping policemen" on Stockhill Road. The best deterrent to these low-life thieves is more bobbies on the beat.

Garry Stockdill, New Line, Greengates.

SIR - Excuse my cynicism, but I can't help feeling the pound signs were flashing before the eyes of Marcus Farrar and Bassra solicitors as they unashamedly touted for business while championing the cause of Bradford's ex-mill workers (Letters, April 29).

This is not an issue of race. It is about the use of public money, including funding from Legal Aid, in today's compensation culture.

Nobody would deny an individual's entitlement to compensation when their suffering can clearly be identified and is directly attributable to the negligence of their employer.

Naturally, however, concerns and eyebrows are going to be raised when the elderly in our community start seeking compensation for ailments associated with (pardon my ageism) the elderly.

I will apologise for questioning the sincerity of Mr Farrar's intentions if I learn that he intends to pursue the case on behalf of ex-mill workers on a "no win, no fee" basis and without seeking Legal Aid funding for his potential clients.

Mike Brotherton, Grove Road, Shipley.

SIR - My classmates and I would like to comment on the front page report in the T&A about our school, Bradford Cathedral Community College.

You reported parts of the HMI report which gave our school a negative reputation. If you ever visited our school, you would see that negative behaviour towards disabled students doesn't happen.

Truancy goes on in all schools, some more than others, and I am sure that our school isn't the worst.

Students like me and my classmates work very hard to get where we are, and the school is very aware that there are problems, and is doing its best to sort them out. We don't see how the school can do this if we don't have a chance.

We hope that in future you will see things from our point of view.

Donna Wright, Heidi Platt, Danielle Jones, Samantha Pancin, Ann Marie Martin, Vickie Windle, Lee Denbigh, Susanna Hanley, Mark Bulluant, Sarah Barras, and Samantha Fisher, Bradford Cathedral Community College, Lister Avenue, East Bowling.

SIR - Councillor David Ward should get his priorities right. In objecting to the idea of having police officers in schools (T&A report, April 29), he is putting appearances before the safety of the children.

He should remember the lessons of recent school tragedies. He has no right to let his negative "nervous" feelings influence events.

Sandy Parkinson, Grigg Place, Hilton, Western Australia.

SIR - I'm just wondering if voter apathy is a result of candidate apathy. I have not seen a single candidate or canvasser at my door.

If the candidates can't even be bothered to go out and convince voters they deserve our vote, and show some interest in the election, then it doesn't surprise me that voters have no interest either.

Adrian Freeman, Hawkshead Way, Bradford.