Letters to the Editor

This would be a practical means of easily identifying criminals who have come up against the law and been splattered with paint they cannot remove.

Not only would this keep the scallies housebound for a long period of time, but it would also teach them personal hygiene. Anyone daft enough to go out into public areas would be immediately caught and brought to justice.

Anyone giving themselves up straight away could be dealt with more leniently.

This could save thousands of pounds in police time and also help to un-bung the prisons, as there are always those who would sit it out in hiding till the paint wore off.

Perhaps this could also be adopted by householders to give them a sense of security and know that they would be assisting the police.

Trevor Williams-Berry, Bredon Avenue, Wrose.

SIR - A nation begins life by buying a few acres of land here and there. Then, gently at first, but with increasing violence, it pushes back the natives, destroying their habitat and way of life, by superior military hardwear. Finally, any resistance by the natives, and they are termed savages or terrorists.

While all this is going on, the new nation imports millions of like-minded immigrants and then tells the displaced natives there is now no room for them.

Little wonder that the United States agrees with Israel's domestic policy.

A nation that eliminated virtually all its native population has little virtue in its anti-terror crusade; note how carefully they avoid China's inhumanity and the reign of terror that the CIA imported into Chile.

Finally, note how the US suggested to Israel that they could ignore the latest UN resolution, which the US had actually voted for, and the ludicrous visit to Israel by Colin Powell after touring the Middle East first; giving Sharon plenty of time to use his military might.

Why can't they see that all this violence will create another ten thousand Muslim martyrs?

Les Brotherton, Caroline Street, Saltaire.

SIR - Re the April 8 letter from G A Lorriman. He would have us believe that Tony Blair "seems to be having a problem with numeracy".

It appears to me that the writer is having a similar problem with geography. Isn't Gibraltar connected to the Spanish mainland?

The 99 per cent quoted as being in favour of remaining British would soon look different once the rest of Spain were given a say about that bit of land that happens to be joined to their country.

What would Mr Lorriman and others of that ilk think if, say, the people of Liverpool were to declare themselves to be part of the Republic of Ireland?

Tony Blair may well be having a problem with his numeracy but by entering into talks with "El Toro" he is showing that he has a rudimentary grasp of world geography.

Though I am totally against the concept of Zionism, at least those people who profess to want to be part of Israel go to live there. How many like-minded Gibraltarians to do you see flooding back to live in Britain?

M A Booth, Moorcroft Drive, Tong Street, Bradford 4.

SIR - Full marks to Mr Zafar in his appraisal of some of the driving youths of Heaton. I endorse his thoughts on these drivers.

My visits to Heaton are thankfully fewer now, but in the recent past I have endured some frightening incidents.

As a matter of course, these lads stop their "ghetto blasting" cars to converse with others of their ilk on the residential streets, completely blocking the road for other road users.

If one should foolishly toot your horn at them like I once did, there is a barrage of threats and insults coming your way. As for pulling out without looking - this must be the new way to drive!

They are able to speed with impunity at all times of the day, and indulge in the most bizarre reversing manoeuvres imaginable.

I appreciate that the police try to prioritise the crimes to boost their statistics, but these lads are effectively potential killers!

As for the environment and calls for fewer cars on the road, let's start by confiscating the untaxed and uninsured cars.

B A Houseman, Coach Road, Baildon.

SIR - Having just rung the bulk refuse section of Bradford Council to arrange a collection, I have found out that the system is about to change.

In future it will be a maximum of five items and a maximum of four times a year, otherwise a charge will be incurred.

Fine, it's easy enough to go to the tip...if you have a car!

I really believed our councillors when they said they want a cleaner city. This goes to prove that they'd rather have more in the coffers to pay their expenses.

Adrian Freeman, Hawkshead Way, Bradford 5.

SIR - Broken livelihoods and broken buildings are daily reminders of the night last summer when our area was attacked by violence and thuggish behaviour.

A march commemorating these events is entirely inappropriate until the fabric is repaired.

Should the organisers succeed in their efforts, perhaps they can then turn their thoughts to the victims who have been treated with naivet, and spectacular insensitivity.

M Narey, Springcliffe, Bradford 8.

SIR - I am very sorry that Mrs Raistrick remains confused and would like to make just one more attempt to unconfuse her about the really quite simple situation in relation to the admissions policy at Immanuel Community College (I am chairman of governors).

Under the admissions policy, one half of Immanuel's places is reserved for community pupils and one half for pupils of Christian background. If the latter are not filled, then we offer the places to other local families.

At present only about half of the places for Christian children are taken up, so simple mathematics shows that 75 per cent of places are currently given to local children without regard to faith.

There is indeed no catchment area since these were abandoned by most schools many years ago. Pupils are admitted to community places at Immanuel by priority according to distance - the nearest have highest priority and there is therefore no fixed catchment area.

I hope this helps. I also hope that Mrs Raistrick will take up my offer to meet so that we can clarify these matters before the Council election in which she is standing.

The Ven Guy Wilkinson, Archdeacon of Bradford, Park Cliffe Road, Bradford 2.

l EDITOR'S NOTE: Mrs Raistrick tells us she is now hoping to arrange a meeting with Mr Wilkinson, so this correspondence is now closed.

SIR - Reference the article "Mill workers in bid for compensation" (T&A, April 10). I have every sympathy with the men in the photograph with Mr Iqbal.

My husband and thousands like him who worked in textiles were treated exactly the same. Provision of earmuffs was not implemented until the eighties. By that time most workers suffered from various stages of deafness.

Those millworkers who dealt with asbestos received an even worse deal because a lot of these mills were owned by overseas companies.

Nothing was done for the well-being of textile workers until Bill Morris, the general secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union, took over some of the textile unions, and workers received compensation for their hearing loss.

I would suggest that Mr Iqbal get in touch with Mr Morris and these men will get their compensation a great deal quicker than the route he is taking. That is if they are in a union.

Joan Foulds, New Line, Greengates.

SIR - I was recently waiting for a bus at Morrisons and was entertained not by any pop idol but by a group of young children, two or three years old. They were all sitting on the seat in the bus shelter, singing and doing the actions.

All were well behaved and well looked after by a few young ladies, evidently form a nursery. They all got on the bus no trouble, and it was the same when they got off again. It was a pleasure to see them.

D Rhodes, Rowanberry Close, Bradford 2.