Letters to the Editor

I have no objection to the desire of supporters of this atrocity to go off to Afghanistan to fight for bin Laden. They are against freedom, democracy, and justice, so they will be happy in a country where none of these exist; where a dictatorial regime deals with dissenters by cutting off hands, and feet, and heads.

What worries me is that they may stay here, perverting the democratic right to free speech by using it to attack democracy and support terrorism. I am not sure we should permit this.

L Hobsbaum, Willow Crescent, Bradford 2.

SIR - I read with interest the report headlined 'Anti-war protest sparks backlash' (T&A, October 9). I was in Centenary Square on Monday teatime for the anti-war vigil. Far from there being a backlash, there were more than 100 people present, and hundreds of others who passed by, either glad to take our leaflets or without comment.

Two people challenged us, one of them understandably upset that he had lost a friend in the terrible attack on the World Trade Centre. The other, Councillor Cooke, was arrogant and offensive.

My mother always told me "two wrongs don't make a right".

In any case the men who carried out the attacks on September 11 were from Saudi Arabia and Egypt, so why is the US attacking the starving people of Afghanistan?

The US created Osama bin Laden and the Taliban to fight the Russians, and they are playing the same dangerous game again by supporting the Afghani Northern Alliance and buttering up the Pakistani dictator.

Bombing Afghanistan to catch bin Laden just doesn't make sense, or Britain could have been justifiably bombed while we were harbouring Pinochet.

All talk of the sanctity of human life, and indeed of morals, by US and British politicians is hypocritical cant. The free market is their church, profit is their god, and woe betide anyone who gets in their way, whether they live in a council house in Bradford or a tent in Afghanistan.

David Ramsden, Hunsworth Lane, Cleckheaton.

SIR - My thoughts go out to the people of Afghanistan, with whom we have no quarrel - only with those people who are terrorists, who we must be rid of.

We know what damage terrorists can do. We have been troubled with them for years in Northern Ireland, some of them calling themselves the IRA or the Real IRA or Loyalists. (Loyalists to whom? Certainly not to England). A terrorist is a terrorist whatever name he uses.

As an ex-Serviceman, I want all terrorists defeated, and an end to all wars.

People who talk about a Holy War should realise that there is no such thing. All wars are evil, started by politicians or by people whose purpose is to gain power or wealth. The people of every country in the world who have terrorists in their community should expose them, destroy them, kick them out or ask for help to do so.

I have lived for 79 years and there has never been peace in my lifetime. Think of that - if you want it to go on the same way, do nothing.

N. Brown, Peterborough Place, Undercliffe.

SIR -As a student at Bradford College I believe that America should not be bombing Afghanistan with missiles or bombs but with aid such as food, water and shelter, like tents. It makes me mad is that as America is bombarding Afghanistan, civilians are being hit. They should get the pilots' eyes tested.

Nabeel Hussain, Whites View, Manningham.

SIR - In response to the story re the so-called bike craze (T&A, September 28), I think the police would find it easier to catch the bikers if they responded to complaints they receive more quickly.

I live in an area where kids on motorbikes are a daily nuisance and the police have not come out to a complaint.

As far as I am aware, the police ask for public help but are not very helpful when they are offered it.

Caroline Walker, Longfield Drive, Bradford 4.

SIR - I live on a council estate in Wyke and I regularly see young teenagers riding around on motorbikes without helmets or other safety gear. I think this is very reckless and I support the police views on this.

But I was horrified when I saw a police riot van chasing two young teenagers around the housing estate at approximately 5.15pm on Sunday when they did not have any safety gear on. It was raining very heavily and the police riot van was only a very short distance behind the motorcycle - approximately four or five feet, travelling around 30 miles per hour.

I think this is highly dangerous and the police should be aware of the risks of chasing teenagers on bikes when they are not wearing any correct safety equipment, especially after the recent accident on Holme Wood.

If anything this is going to create more horrific bike accidents on our roads involving teenagers.

I would like to know the correct police procedure on chasing youths on bikes when they have no safety equipment on.

Keith Naylor, St Mary's Square, Wyke

l A police spokesman said: "We would not follow a motor-cycle off the highway but we would follow motorcyclists on the road at a safe distance if they were in breach of the law. We need accurate information from the public as to who these people are so that we can visit their homes and deal with the matter in a safe manner. Our advice to motor-cyclists is that they put themselves and others in danger if they do not wear the appropriate safety equipment. In respect of help from the public, we rely on the public's help to do our job and try to respond as quickly as possible to all complaints."

SIR - The National Consumer Council works on all kinds of issues that affect consumers. We are setting up a national network of individual consumers across England to be "the eyes and ears" of NCC.

We are asking people to sign up to the network for a year and take part in a range of projects to give us examples of real-life experiences - good and bad.

We will also ask network members to comment on issues the NCC is working on, such as safe food, reliable transport, competitive prices, and access to essential services like decent housing, fuel or water supply.

We'd be delighted to hear from any of your readers who are interested in joining the network. It won't cost anything to be a member as NCC pays for postage and calls.

For more information, or to join, contact our network co-ordinator, Nasreen Mahmud, at NCC on the network freephone (0800) 389 8101 or e-mail her at n.mahmud@ncc.org.uk.

Alison Hopkins, Head of the Connections Team, National Consumer Council, Grosvenor Gardens, London, SW1.