Re-opening rail line makes good sense

You will be aware that last year, the Colne bypass project lost out on funding to the Heysham/M6 link. When the Colne bypass project plans went on public view, I visited it in Foulridge, and was horrified to find that it was to consist of a single carriageway road from Colne to roughly Elslack.

I was also told that no consideration had been made to traffic counts in Barrowford, where anyone will tell you, an enormous amount of peak-hour traffic goes, just to avoid North Valley Road in Colne.

The concept put forward for the Colne bypass would probably suffice for two to three years, before widening would be needed.

Having lost the funding anyway, the next funding allocation is, apparently, in another five years, (or four from now). If the bypass gets the funding next time, it will then be another five years of planning before a sod of earth is turned over, and then another five years to build the bypass (these are timings that were given to me by the council representative who was in charge of the bypass display in Foulridge.)

Having looked at this disaster, I put forward the following concept to the council, which, I regret to say, has neither been acknowledged, nor replied to.

Why not make the Colne bypass a full dual carriageway immediately? At the same time, since the route proposed is the old rail line, use the median strip on which to run light rail, such as the Manchester Met trams. These could have stops at, say, Foulridge, Kelbrook, Earby, and, possibly Thornton.

Just think of the advantages here:

1 The cost of installing the infrastructure is minimised by building both the road and the rail simultaneously.

2 The light rail could be used to "bus" children to and from school, thus relieving bus traffic on the local roads.

3 The public transport time from Colne to Skipton could be reduced to about 25 minutes, regardless of the congestion on the road.

4 There would be a "green" mix of public and private transport, without the need to dig up yet more swathes of our beautiful countryside.

5 The bypass road would last for 15 to 20 years, instead of the current two to thee years.

6 The first councillor to advocate such a proposal would go down in history for such forward thinking!

My cynicism tells me that council will probably not look at such a proposal, for just such a reason as my last: but I hope that it is worth considering.

Jonathan Dickson,

The Croft,

Langroyd Road, Colne.

Pounding the beat

SIR - I was pleased to read of the success of our local police initiative to get more officers out on the street ("bobbies on the beat").

I'm sure that it comes as no surprise to many people that this is the best way to start cutting crime and to re-build the public's attitude toward toward the police.

It is surely far better for the police to be out preventing crime rather than attending the scene after the crime has already taken place (then sitting in the station for hours writing reports about it).

The Government has yet again juggled the figures to show that crime is on the way down but we all know that this is just more 'spin'.

We read all the time about the police wanting us to do their jobs for them, they give us speed cameras to keep track of the naughty motorists while they drive around in £25,000 sports cars (one, a Subaru Impreza, even led Sutton Fun Day last year, how much did that cost us?); the panda car driver was probably busy making out reports so here's to a few more bobbies on the beat and the continued success of their new old ideas.

J Henstock,

Smithy Cottage, Crosshills.

Benefits confusion

SIR - I wonder how many of your readers have been confused by the Child Support Agency and benefit system?

My divorced daughter, who is bringing up a child on her own and because of ill health is unable to work at the moment, unfortunately has to live on benefits (which she hates having to do).

Her ex-husband got behind with Child Support Agency (CSA) payments and I think that is where the confusion began. The CSA started to send my daughter cheques of various amounts occasionally, with a letter saying that these were owed to her from the past.

So, of course, my daughter spent them, believing that she was entitled to them. This went on for a while.

Then the DSS told her that she should have declared the payments to them and she was taken to Court on a benefits fraud charge.

As my daughter was in no state to argue with them because of her depressive illness, she pleaded guilty to the charges, or was advised to.

As knowledgeable people, you will know that when you are deeply depressed, you can't always think straight and stress makes the matter worse.

When I found out about all this later, I did write to the CSA and asked them not to send her any more cheques and again they said she was entitled to them.

After the court case, which was adjourned until a later date, I went to the DSS as my daughter was still receiving cheques from the CSA and they checked some paperwork and said, yes, she was entitled to these but not the ones she received before. So the ones she receives saying that these cheques are arrears from the past she can spend, because they have already been deducted from her benefits.

Are you confused, because I certainly was?

There is obviously a lack of communication between the CSA and the DSS. Why can't they have a simple system, where the CSA pays the DSS anything due to the parent involved, so that they receive regular payments all the time instead of this mixed-up, confused system they use now.

Because of this my daughter was made out to look a criminal to readers of your paper as you don't print all the details. I know that not all the evidence is said in court and you only print what is said in court. I for one will always think now there is another side to the story or the court case.

Name and address supplied.

Poppy plans

SIR - On October 28 a ceremony took place at the Town Hall in Huddersfield to launch the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal in Yorkshire.

I had the great pleasure of escorting Coun Stephen Butcher, chairman of Craven District Council, to this event and we both thoroughly enjoyed the occasion.

The poppy was immortalised in the poem "In Flanders Field" by a Canadian officer, John McRae, written in response to the horrors he experienced at Ypres in 1915.

The poem begins: "In Flanders Field the poppies blow between the crosses row on row".

A Frenchwoman, Anne Guerin, who was already selling her own handmade poppies to raise money for children in Europe affected by war, had the idea of selling poppies in Britain to raise funds for ex-servicemen and their dependants.

Poppies went on sale on the first ever Poppy Day, November 11 1921.

Eighty years on our target for funds raised this year is £21 million, to surpass the £20 million raised last year.

Despite the huge sums which have already been received, the demands on the Royal British Legion Benevolent Fund increase each year and I ask you to give generously and help us to reach our target.

The Royal British Legion Skipton branch has helped many, many ex-servicemen and their dependants within the Craven area and, with your continued support, we will be able to maintain our efforts.

Under the guidance of our Poppy Appeal organiser, Alec Bentley, £10,270 was raised in our area last year and thanks are due to all who donated so generously and enabled us to reach this record figure.

Alec's team of helpers will be busy in our area for the next few weeks, so please give generously and wear your poppy with pride.

The Remembrance Day parade and service in Skipton will take place this year on Sunday.

The parade will assemble in Sackville Street at 10.30am and proceed to the war memorial for the two minutes silence at 11am.

This will be followed by a service in the parish church conducted by the Rev Adrian Botwright.

After the service the parade will reassemble and proceed to the White Rose Club, Newmarket Street, where they will be dismissed.

All who take part will be made welcome in the club.

Mr Croll, the headmaster of Aireville School, will attend with some of his pupils at the Remembrance Garden in Aireville Park, where one of the dignitaries of the Town Council will also be present.

The formalities of the parade this year will be in the capable hands of our parade marshall, Alec Bentley, and our branch chairman, Jack Yarker.

I shall be representing our branch at the events in London, but my thoughts will be with you all.

Gerry Thornhill,

President,

Skipton Branch,

Royal British Legion.

Freedom fighters

SIR - On November 11, Remembrance Sunday, we honour the heroes of two world wars who died for our freedom.

Just eight days later, five honest traders are to appeal to the High Court in London over their 'offence' of selling produce in pounds and ounces, not kilograms. There were no victims and no customer complaints, but total costs of over £72,000 have already been awarded against them.

Did those brave servicemen and women sacrifice their lives so that 60 years later shopkeepers could be prosecuted for selling goods in the traditional British measures requested by their customers?

Selling in pounds and ounces is obviously a greater threat to society than speeding at up to 100 mph, as in the case of one Chief Constable and the Home Secretary's chauffeur - as miraculously the law does not seem to apply to those in high places.

The vindictiveness of the authorities in using public funds to pursue the five traders is even more disturbing now that the police have been urged to go soft on vandalism shoplifting and other crime.

The regulations are contradictory and the traders believe they acted within the law. They and their families will need all the financial help they can get in their protracted battle against bureaucracy.

Please donate to 'The Metric Martyrs' Defence Fund', PO Box 526, Sunderland, SR1 3YS. Payments can also be made at any NatWest branch, Sort code 55-61-11, Account no 36457469.

Derek Norman,

Council Member,

British Weights & Measures

Timely message

SIR - May I warmly thank and congratulate the Baha'i faith for the timely prayer which they presented in the Craven Herald on November 2.

In company with some other Christians, I continue to struggle to come to terms with the bombing of Afghanistan with the inevitable injury to innocent, native people.

Having American friends I do understand the anger but in company with some of them believe that the present hostilities are not the way forward.

So thanks again to the Baha'is of Skipton for offering some comfort and assurance and offering a meaningful example to the rest of us.

John Fidler,

Skipton Road, Embsay.

Credit card fraud

SIR - According to an article in the Times, credit card fraud in the 12 months to August 2001 amounted to £373 million, and more than £100 million of this was attributed to "skimming" which involves cards being processed by a second card reader, often little larger than a cigarette, without the card owner knowing.

Thus, in broad terms, one quarter of credit card fraud is carried out by the employee of the shop, garage, hotel or whatever and two thirds by the customer.

It would therefore seem logical that if the vendor is to require the thumb print of the customer, then equally the customer should be entitled to demand the thumb print, and name, of the vendor (perhaps on the back of the receipt).

In this way the customer might have some starting point in an enquiry if his or her card has been illegally "skimmed".

GA Strafford,

Draughton.

A Dales welcome

SIR - For the past 15 years or so my wife and I have visited the Dales once or twice a year. We love the beautiful scenery and the friendly people.

On the evening of Friday November 2 we were returning to Halton Gill from Stainforth after enjoying a lovely meal.

We were just about level with Penyghent when we came face to face with a Land Rover parked in the middle of a narrow road with its lights off. Alongside it were a man and a young woman scouring the fields below the road with a powerful torch.

He beckoned me to pass but I got out of my car to explain that I couldn't get a five feet wide car through a four feet wide gap.

At this point he swore, got into his vehicle and switched the lights on full beam, dazzling both of us, and pulled over. We went on our way.

It occurred to me afterwards that this was the first time in the 15 years that we had met an uncouth, inconsiderate and foul-mouthed Dalesman. What a sad person.

A Cooke.

Chestnut Avenue, Kettering.

'Quiet' motorbikes

SIR - Mr and Mrs Smith, defending motorcyclists in north Craven (Craven Herald Letters November 2) should spend a weekend living somewhere between Horton-in-Ribblesdale and Ribblehead - the B6479 road.

Speeding traffic along this "quiet" road has been a hazard for some years and letters were published in the Craven Herald in 1998 on this subject.

'Concealed Entrance' signs and 'Slow' road markings are constantly ignored, which makes driving out from the cottages on the left hand bend towards Ribblehead especially dangerous. This also applies elsewhere on the B6479.

The noise and excessive speed of some incautious motorcyclists are deterring many tourists from revisiting the once peaceful Yorkshire Dales.

HG Lees,

Horton-in-Ribblesdale.

Embsay memories

SIR - It was very interesting to see the group photo of the employees at Embsay Mill.

I lived in Embsay through the 1950s where my father was the village bobby. My years in the village are remembered with great happiness and I knew many in the picture and went to the same school as some.

I was in the village in early September this year and spoke to Derek Raw. Unfortunately Mary Simpson was out on the two occasions I called. I do enjoy following local news and keeping up to date with things and occasionally am rewarded with something I readily recognise.

Ken Holstead

22 Culluin Court, Falkirk.

Wonderful

SIR - As an impartial member of the audience who enjoyed a wonderful production of Oklahoma by Settle Opera, I would like to shove in my half pen'orth regarding the review by Gill O'Donnell. Everyone I have spoken to who watched the show was astounded that she failed to mention the exceptional wonderful performance by newcomer Robin Knipe as Judd yet gave mention to John Barley. Enough said!

Hilary Dickinson,.

Beckside Lane, Halifax.

Massive crowd

SIR - Congratulations to The Glusburn Bonfire Committee for a fantastic show.

A spectacle worthy of any big city, obviously the result of a lot of hard work. All the "oohs" and "aahs" from the massive crowd was a tonic.

Thanks for a great evening.

Douglas Cheetham,

Sunnybank House, Glusburn.