Letters to the Editor

I really appreciated the straightforward way in which he wrote about this subject. I was a pupil at two schools in Keighley and I was bullied all the way through. The bullies made my time at school a miserable experience.

Mr Smith is right, bullying does cause untold damage. Twenty years on, bullying has left me with low self esteem and other psychological problems.

Sadly, more youngsters suffer in silence than those who speak up about it.

Some of the reasons for this are that they feel alone and unsupported by their teachers and parents.

The temptation is to run away from the problem by truanting from lessons in which the bullying occurs, or truanting from school altogether.

This may be an answer short-term, but in the long term it is no answer at all. Inevitably the truanter gets caught and is met by teachers who are under pressure and appear to be unsympathetic. The teachers don't always get to the root of the problem.

In today's society youngsters need to be educated about how to deal with bullying and what it is. More importantly they need to know who they can go to if they are bullied.

The people who need to do this are the teachers and parents. A strong message needs to be heard in school assemblies that bullying, whether it is physical, sexual or mental, should not and will not be tolerated.

There is an old saying "sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me." Personally, that saying holds no water with me.

The bruises and the scars and the pain from the kicks and punches do heal, but the mental and emotional scars last a lifetime.

KAREN ROBINSON

Address supplied

SIR - Regarding your article entitled "Plan for house on depot site refused" I refer to the comments of Cllr Prestage.

It is true that usually when I attend the Keighley planning meetings on behalf of Silsden Town Council it is to voice our objections to plans being discussed.

Cllr Prestage should know that all plans are supposedly treated on their own merits, so to be accused of favouritism by a Labour member of this panel just makes me wonder if I have touched a raw nerve!

I attend these meetings unpaid, unlike Cllr Prestage.

The applicant wrote a letter of complaint regarding the "second rate service" of the planning officer and it would appear a copy of this was put in front of members of the planning committee before discussions took place.

CLLR CHRIS ATKINSON

Oak View, Silsden

SIR - I read the Keighley News today 26/4/02 with sadness.

l Keighley community transport forced out by yobs.

l Residents at East Parade, Steeton, devastated by mini crime wave.

l Arsonists target a Keighley home for the second time in under a week, and severe damage to a lorry.

l Racist graffiti on a property in Victoria Road.

l Stolen Ford Escort dumped and set alight on Black Moor Road, Oxenhope.

l Stolen Volvo set alight in White Lane, Oakworth.

l Steeton Male Voice Choir banner torched at Keighley Shared Church.

In the same issue the police are involved with a team of "clampers" carrying out roadside checks to make sure vehicles have a valid tax disc.

At the same time Enforcement Teams are patrolling the streets on the look out for unlicensed vehicles.

The police will also be checking for other road safety and motoring offences such as driving with no insurance and MOT certificates.

Is it just me?

BERNARD THOMPSON

Dale View Grove, Long Lee

SIR - I am in my late forties and have read the Keighley News every week all my adult life.

Never have I read the paper and felt so downhearted. In this week's issue - just ONE WEEK - the following news items were featured:-

l Two men in Court facing charges in connection with the stabbing and beating to death of a Keighley man

l A trial date has been fixed for three men accused of murder following the deaths of two men in December

l Bradford Crown Court to deliver a verdict in the case of a Keighley man accused of manslaughter by injecting his girlfriend with heroin

l Keighley Community transport relocating because staff have had enough of persistent attacks on them and their vehicles - the yobs have won

l A 62-year-old man had his ear bitten off after an unprovoked attack in a Keighley pub toilet

l Arsonists started a fire which severely damaged a lorry

l Arsonists have targeted a Keighley family's home for the second time in under a week. They have received letters saying that if they don't leave it will happen again

l A stolen Ford Escort was dumped and set on fire

l Firefighters were called out to deal with a burning Volvo in Oakworth - the vehicle was stolen and dumped before being set alight

l Vandals torched a banner costing £120 belonging to Steeton Male Voice Choir advertising a charity event at Keighley Shared Church

l A white man is being driven out of his house by cowards, who are threatening him and covering his walls and windows with racist grafitti

l A letter to the Editor reminds us of a 55-year-old man attacked in a Keighley park by four youths who appeared to be Asian in appearance last February, and goes on to talk about a 48-year-old being attacked in the same park earlier this month - again by a group of youths of Asian appearance.

It hardly seems worth mentioning the five men in court charged with violent disorder following a street brawl in Keighley town centre or the usual list of Keighley folk found guilty of possessing drugs, driving without tax or insurance, failing to pay their TV licence, speeding and shoplifting. Now, this was balanced with lots of Good News stories, but is it just me??

This is just ONE WEEK in Keighley. Was it like this five, ten, 15 or more years ago?

GRAHAM LOWRY

Westburn Avenue

Keighley

SIR - After reading the letter on the park safety call I felt I had to write and tell you of a rather nasty experience which happened to myself and my husband a couple of weeks ago.

We decided after tea (at about 5pm) to take a walk in Lund Park with our eight-year-old son, who went on his bike.

We were walking towards the play area in the park, happily chatting away.

As we approached the play area six or seven Asian youths sitting on a seat started to shout the most disgusting obscenities towards us (none of which is repeatable in a family newspaper). We decided to carry on walking straight ahead and avoid the play area altogether, to which they got up to follow us still shouting obscenities, spitting and hissing, one of them noticed my son riding around on his bike and said "We better leave the white ***** (bastards) alone, they have a kid with them."

This racist experience left me extremely shaken and upset and I have not been in Lund Park since.

My husband has, however, saying nobody is going to stop him from going into a park where he himself played as a child and has lived in the area for the past 30 years.

After reading about the terrible attacks that have happened I have begged him not to go in.

This behaviour is totally unacceptable and something drastic must be done before one of these attacks (God forbid) eventually leads to someone's death.

NAME AND ADDRESS

SUPPLIED

SIR - Regarding the letter in last week's Keighley News calling for better safety in Lund Park, my 14-year-old son was in the said park on Saturday, April 13, riding his bike when he was rounded on by a group of seven youths of Asian appearance who grabbed hold of the bike and requested a go on it.

Whether foolishly or not my son refused .

You can imagine what happened next. He was pushed and kicked off his bike onto the ground and he still refused to let go and clung on, even though they were still kicking his body, head and especially his hands to release his grip.

At this point a lady intervened, asking what was going on. The youths of Asian appearance ran off and the lady (who has my eternal gratitude for intervening) called the police.

Alas nothing can be done except to file a complaint as my son couldn't recognise them again.

Maybe something may only be done when someone gets seriously injured by these youths.

GWYNETH FERGUSON

Exley Mount, Keighley

SIR - As usual David Samuels is forthright in the views he expresses through your newspaper.

As usual, much of what he proclaims is opinion, not fact, with the result he perpetuates myths. I have children who have attended and still attend Greenhead High School by choice.

Their choice was influenced by many factors including the wider range of curriculum compared to other secondary schools in Keighley or the Bradford district.

Greenhead High School can hold its head high when it comes to achievements or, using Mr Samuels' terminology, 'standards.'

No doubt he is aware of the excellent 6th form results achieved last year and recognised by OFSTED when they comment "Greenhead School is at the very top of the National Value for Money scale."

With the Associated link with The Holy Family School they were fourth in the LEA league table.

The true measurement of a school's contribution to a child's education is the progress that child makes from the day they enter the school to the day they leave.

Greenhead will stand comparison with any school in the LEA district on this criteria.

Can I ask Mr Samuels to identify other schools in the district where a considerable number of pupils are fluent in at least two languages, often three?

The contribution Greenhead has made to the multicultural community of Keighley has been recognised through the award to their deputy head Margaret Platts of an MBE. Let us not forget the many national awards to the school itself.

As a concerned parent I am very pleased with the high quality of education and support my children have received from the staff at Greenhead, which compares most favourably with other schools in the area. The children in my family have attended four different secondary schools in this catchment area.

My experience of Greenhead High School is confirmed by the OFSTED inspection team when they comment "The quality of teaching is the strength of the school."

When expressing concerns about his grandchildren, no doubt Mr Samuels is aware that the greatest influence on any child's eduction is their home, the school they attend can only build on the parental contribution to the child's education.

Come on Mr Samuels, do keep up your campaigning on local issues from the other side of the valley, but do not fall into the same trap that you accuse Bradford Council of, making public statements that have long since been shown to be scurrilous myths.

IAN CROSBY

Whitely Head, Steeton

SIR - Regarding your article last week on the campaign for a Skateboard Park in the Cross Hills area, I feel sorry that these children who enjoy the sport feel 'There's a whole lot of prejudice towards us'.

As the mother of one of these boys I would like to ask Glusburn Council why they refuse to consider the proposal by Cllr Birks to fund the full £21,000 needed if they do not get a grant.

Is it not time we seriously considered projects that give our young people a safe place to enjoy what I consider to be a healthy sport rather than whinge that these children are troublemakers?

BARBARA TURNER

Shoebridge Ave, Eastburn

SIR - I am writing to urge readers not to give dad chocolates or cake on Fathers Day.

Instead, why not encourage him to cycle off excess pounds during Bike Week (June 15-23)? Hundreds of free rides are being organised - visit www.bikeweek.org.uk for details of events in West Yorkshire. Short distance rides are suitable for unfit 'fatties'. There will also be safe routes for families.

And as concern grows about increasing obesity in young people, dads can set a great example to their children by cycling for fun and fitness on Fathers Day.

Nick Harvey

Bike Week Co-ordinator

Acorns, Walberton,

ARUNDEL, BN18 0BA

SIR - The Help the Aged appeal to collect unwanted mobile phones is coming to a close, but for as long as the need continues, our charity shops will collect them.

All readers wanting to pay a service to the environment as well as Britain's older people need only drop their old phone into any Help the Aged Shop.

ELAINE HEATH

Fundraising Manager