Court must keep their local roots

Sadly I was involved in a similar situation in Calderdale. Two local offices were shut and, eventually, as your editorial so aptly put it, the courts themselves followed to Halifax.

The criticisms that have been voiced are absolutely correct. The time wasted and the expense incurred - most of which will be paid for out of public funds - for magistrates, solicitors, witnesses, defendants simply cannot be justified by financial savings and administrative convenience.

My experience mirrors that of your correspondent John Fidler including involvement with Victim Support. It would make this organisation's valuable work more difficult were the court to be moved.

Moving the court office would indeed be the "thin end of the wedge" and the community should be extremely concerned.

Although I am pessimistic I support any campaign to save our court.

If only a Keighley and Craven authority had been the outcome of local government reorganisation, many of the problems which beset both towns might have been avoided.

John P Whitehead,

Main Street, Carleton.

Good reasons

SIR - Is there hope of the Craven Herald sussing out and publishing any actual good reasons why the local magistrate system is being moved to far away Harrogate - by stealth from what little the public has so far been told.

In contrast, there are good reasons why their courts should remain local; one being that magistrates should be themselves known as such locally and be respected as people who can be called out to adjudicate to sort out troubles not always in court.

Another reason is that the police can no longer always be trusted, such as when the writer, an ex-magistrate, trying to stop a crime was himself arrested and wasted a day, being interrogated miles away.

I could go on and on but no way should people be denied their means of achieving justice locally in the communities where they live; and courts should be put back where they are most needed for local convenience.

Because secrecy is the tool of the criminal, if those who want to close down local courts actually have a good reason for doing so, they should be open and publish it, especially if as suspected it is solely to do with money as opposed to justice.

RD Leakey,

Sutcliffe House, Settle.

Sorry sight

SIR - I was sorry to learn from the Craven Herald how the Roman road exiting onto Shortbank Road, at Skipton, has been allowed to fall into such disuse.

For those people wanting to escape the hustle and bustle of the market town or the surrounding network of country roads, the Roman road provided a perfect route.

During the long, hot summer of 1976, that Roman road gave me entry to a most beautiful and interesting walk and into the pastures beyond. In my log of walks for that year I made exceptional note of how well maintained the raised kerbs and paving stones above and alongside the old road had been kept, not to mention the exceptional views captured of Skipton and the outlying countryside.

It has to be said that at that time, when more interest was being shown in the next new model of motor car, fewer people considered the countryside such a healthy option.

My records tell that no shoe or boot prints were to be seen. Heavily wooded on the right of the pavings, the scenery to the left was an endless show of colour.

May I suggest that if Skipton wants to retain its historic attractions then routes such as the Roman road be maintained by some of the town's out of work teenagers. Remember, it is your heritage you are allowing to fall into decay.

Perhaps I should remind the locals how the entrance to the old road in 1976 was then being used as a rubble tip. As for the disappearance of Roman remains, make your way into West Craven and follow the course of the Roman road that now constitutes the old road from Thornton-in-Craven almost to Clitheroe.

Owen Duxbury

Lower East Avenue,

Barnoldswick.

Terrible state

SIR - On my return to my home town of Skipton I spotted Roger Ingham's letter in the Craven Herald about the state of the old Roman road above Skipton.

I went up to look for myself and he is quite right - the road has badly deteriorated from its condition 30 years ago.

Indeed, what was once a really well defined road is now in a terrible state of repair and needs urgent attention. In some parts it has all but gone entirely and clearly cannot be used by ambulances etc needing access to the moor.

What an enlightened thought from Mr Ingham. I cannot envisage why Craven needs a bandstand and from what I can see it will spoil the view from what has been a nice addition to the canal basin.

I endorse his view that Skipton would be best suited celebrating the Queen's Golden Jubilee by restoring its Roman heritage.

James Mason,

Banbury Road,

Worcester.

Slur on school

SIR - I have no political axe to grind in the annual debate around selection for the Skipton Grammar Schools.

However as the head teacher of Ings Primary School, I need to clarify certain comments contained in the article on Friday December 21.

In the article it stated that "this year the Herald understands only one child from Greatwood and none from Ings passed the entrance exam."

I feel it is ill advised to print information as a matter of understanding when it is factually incorrect and potentially damaging to a school's reputation.

My staff have received comments from residents in the town who have quickly changed this understanding into a fact.

The results of the selection tests and who passes the exam is viewed by the local education authority as a private and confidential matter between the school and the family concerned and so it should be.

Both Greatwood and Ings Schools have parents for whom the matter is undecided as they are submitting appeals. As regards the facts, some pupils from Ings School have in fact gained sufficient marks to be awarded places at the grammar schools.

The staff, governors, pupils and their parents have worked hard to improve the status and reputation of Ings School.

We are proud of the attainment of our pupils, although we don't just measure children's achievement through the selection process results.

We believe at Ings School that primary education should be concerned with all-round learning in children, not test scores.

We teach them so that they leave with good levels of literacy and numeracy but also with a thirst for wanting to know more and find out about their world whilst being confident enough to take leading roles in shaping their own future.

Only individual pupil reports and discussion between school and home can give the full picture of how successfully any child has been educated.

Ings School requests that the Craven Herald makes a new year's resolution to check the facts before publishing them.

The comments of the paper may have been extremely damaging to the present and potential pupils at Ings School and given a false impression to the town of Skipton.

Helen Sturgess,

Head teacher,

Ings Primary School, Skipton.

Editor's note: Unfortunately our attempts to check information supplied by our confidential sources are blocked by the local education authority and primary school head teachers, who refuse to confirm or deny details.

However, we have no intention of ceasing to shine a light on matters of great public interest.

An individual child's performance is of course confidential but we believe the overall performance of a school and the way the selection process operates is not something which should be a secret.

The Craven Herald was informed of selection results by a source who must remain confidential but our efforts to check the information met with a refusal to comment - hence our use of the phrase "understands" to clearly indicate that the figures had not been confirmed.

Our report that fewer children from less affluent backgrounds are getting into the grammar schools because their parents cannot afford the coaching fees should be a matter of some concern to the public and not one to be hidden because the education authorities refuse to come clean on figures.

Swanning around

SIR - I cannot understand for the life of me what our Prime Minister is doing swanning round the world trying to police the warring factions.

He tried in Palestine and failed miserably. What makes him think he's going to do any good with India and Pakistan.

These people have been at each other's throats as long as I can remember.

Has he forgotten what he was elected to do? I can't remember him saying he was going to be the saviour of the universe. No the people in this country were told that we are going to put more police in the street.

I live in Barnoldswick and to see a policeman in a vehicle is rarer than rocking horse droppings, let alone see one that can walk.

We are going to get the health service back to where it ought to be, the best; we are going to give education all it needs; we are going to get transport back on track; we will make England a place for the world to admire.

Well, so far, after five years none of this has happened - if anyone can show me any different please do.

Never mind trying to be a world superman, superman was fantasy so give over fantasising, he ought to try telling the people who have been mugged and beaten up in broad daylight, try telling the families of victims of murder, try telling victims of petty crimes that you are cracking down.

Peter Gardiner,

Wellington Street,

Barnoldswick.

Support needed

SIR - I am sure that as we all read the paper we will say "thank God it's all over, the countryside is open and we are back to normal.

But stop and spare a thought for all those who have suffered badly, closed down, lost their livelihood, their family businesses and now feel very lost.

Farmers and all of us have a long way to go to recover and time to lapse before markets are reopened and they are able to start the process of rebuilding lives and businesses, years in some cases.

We can all help by giving them our local support - so support the local businesses.

Sure you have all heard it before, it's true look after those who have looked after you and give them the helping hand they deserve.

My best wishes to you all. May 2002 be the turning point.

Susan Andrews,

Premier Arms Co,

Keighley Road, Cowling.

Church's hard graft

SIR - I would like to correct the misleading impression given in your report under the heading Dickensian Cash (Craven Herald January 4).

The £3,000 was raised not by Craven YMCA but by the people of St Michael's Church Linton.

Over 90 members of St Michael's produced 3,158 mince pies and serrved coffee throughout the day on each of the Dickensian Saturdays in Church House, Grassington.

This was an immense gift of time and effort and deserves an accurate if modest acknowledgement.

We shared the money raised between Martin House Chilrden's Hospice, the YMCA's Afghan Appeal and the Church.

Ken Marsden,

Hebden Road, Grassington.

Path confusion

SIR - The Corncrake guesthouse, being situated roughly midway between Skipton and Grassington, relies crucially for its trade on tourists passing-by and walkers.

It can be imagined, therefore, the extent to which we have been affected by the events of 2001, unsubsidised and unsupported except by the good will of NatWest.

It can also be imagined the delight and pleasure with which we heard the news on national television last week that as from January 1 2002, all footpaths throughout the country would be re-opened. Finally, we would be able to start rebuilding our business, and begin, perhaps to payoff some of the many debts we have accrued.

And so it seemed! During the first three or four days of the month, walkers who had also heard the news came knocking on our door seeking accommodation. The tide had turned!

But then, fresh reports from these selfsame walkers came to us once they had tried to enjoy their chosen recreation. Many footpaths around the Cracoe/Grassington area remain resolutely closed, and fresh notices concerning the use of sentinel animals have appeared.

Will someone who really knows what they are talking about please respond to our confusion and tell us exactly what is now the status of our footpaths? Are they open or are they not? If not, then when will we be allowed to return to normality?

When can I change the details on my website, announcing free access to footpaths, and know that I am advertising truthfully?

And finally, to whom should I report the individuals I observed from my rear windows a couple of days ago, removing what I knew to be a green notice from the notice board in Fell Lane in Cracoe?

Bryn Glover,

The Corncrake,

Cracoe.

Editor's note: The majority of footpaths in this area are open. However if a footpath crosses a farm where disinfecting is taking place, and where farms were culled out as being an infected premise or a dangerous contact, then it remains closed.

The national park urges anyone who sees a red sign prohibiting entry to obey it.