SIR - How come the council tenants of Buttershaw estate are suddenly so interested and concerned about its future?

E Allen and V Rose seem to think it is their right that they and their children should be able to remain in council properties forever in the areas that they want.

The tenants should not have allowed the estate to get in such a rundown mess in the first place. It's no wonder it's easier to knock down 300 properties than refurbish them.

Only recently there was a massive story about the drugs ring that was operating on the estate and how they took control there.

The quicker the whole estate gets cleaned up, the better. If the rents go up because of privatisation or people were made to buy their own homes, maybe then they would take pride in them and look after them and their surroundings better.

I, along with many other people, believe that the quality of life for everyone can only improve with the regeneration scheme.

B Wilkinson, Huddersfield Road, Wyke.

SIR - How dare the Reverend Smith compare the role of Royds on Buttershaw estate to that of the Romans! The implication in his letter (March 28) is quite plain - that Royds are doing a good job of civilising us.

If that's what he thinks, then he should also bear in mind that the Romans were hardly a band of well-meaning missionaries. They were an army of conquerors, whose primary aim was to plunder, exploit and subjugate their captive nations.

The difference between Royds and the Romans is that the Ancient Britons could see their enemy coming, whereas Royds have used the Trojan Horse approach.

I hope that tenants of Holme Wood, Odsal and Wyke will heed this warning - Beware of Royds bearing gifts!

Rev Smith calls for positive ideas for the future of Buttershaw. Here's one for all Bradford's council estates. Let's keep them council-owned. Why should we hand over our security and our rights to the sort of people who sneak in through the back door? Those people are not to be trusted.

V Rose (Defend Council Housing Campaign), Burneston Gardens, Buttershaw.

SIR - Re the coach parking area in Ilkley. Since the introduction of parking charges in the car park on Railway Road, not so many cars use it.

Surely more use could be made of it by removing the wall and making a coach park.

I'm sure coaches would bring in more revenue for Bradford Council and it would be fairly central for the town, without causing too much of a traffic problem.

A Howard, Grange Estate, Ilkley.

IR - What an unfortunate night Stuart Hanson chose to try to defend the Tory-Liberal coalition currently mismanaging Bradford Council.

After reading what a wonderful job they are doing putting extra money into education and social services, I turned over a few pages and what did I find: Council facing £3.7 million deficit!

Fine stewards of the public purse that they are, they immediately came up with an ingenious solution: ignore it and carry it over to next year.

This is the ostrich approach to economics. This is the approach that left Britain £25 billion in the red, with mortgage rates of 15 per cent and three million people out of work. It's quite clear that the Tories cannot be trusted with our economy, local or national.

Oh, by the way Mr Hanson, I hope you noticed the department with the largest deficit - social services, nearly £1 million in the red.

A six per cent rise in the council tax and the Tories still can't balance the budget.

Keith Young, Greenland Villas, Queensbury.

SIR - Mr Ellis repeats the tired old false charge that "authorities use all sort of dubious statistics to justify their pet schemes" (Letters, March 29).

The point, Mr Ellis, is that reducing speeding reduces accidents. Evidence? I repeat Department of Transport research (DETR leaflet November 2000) showing the following:

Speed reduction change in accidents (all severities); 0-2mph (minus ten per cent), 3-4mph (-14 per cent), 5-6mph (-32 per cent), 7mph and over (-47 per cent).

Change in injury accident frequency (all severities): Vehicles only (-25 per cent), involving pedestrian (-30 per cent), involving child pedestrian (-40 per cent), involving cyclist (-39 per cent), involving child cyclist (-51 per cent), all vulnerable road users (-35 per cent).

The above figures were derived from accident figures from seven years before the speed limit changes and five years afterwards. Recent Scottish research shows broadly similar results.

Prove that these statistics are dubious, Mr Ellis, or shut up.

Mike Healey, Dyehouse Road, Oakenshaw.

SIR - In answer to the inquiry by Sid Brown as to where to buy Arrowroot biscuits. His local shops must be really out of touch with the world if they don't know about Arrowroot biscuits.

I have bought mine every week from Morrison's (Five Lane Ends). I wouldn't be without them.

Look on the biscuits shelf, Sid.

Alma Starkey, Park Road, Thackley.

SIR - Whenever I go to my Gran's, she gives my three children Arrowroot biscuits which she gets from our local Co-op or Morrisons. She calls them "Grandma biscuits" because they don't make much mess!

T Kershaw, Windy Grove, Wilsden.

l EDITOR'S NOTE: Many thanks to Mrs Starkey, Mrs Kershaw and all the other readers who sent in information about Arrowroot biscuits.

SIR - David Senior really is hyper-sensitive about Tory policy on pensions (T&A Letters, March 29.) I wonder why?

Could it be that when he brushes aside a "selective quote from an obsolete document" he is pained with embarrassment at the fact an official Conservative Research Department Briefing note could contain the unpopular promise "we will abolish winter fuel allowances and free TV licences for the over-75s"?

Listing Tory Party spending promises simply draws attention to what everyone already knows - that the Tories would have to make significant cutbacks in vital services and budgets to pay for their plans, because their sums do not add up.

Christopher Leslie MP, Saltaire Road, Shipley.

l EDITOR'S NOTE: This particular correspondence is now closed.

SIR - Thank you so much for the wonderful York day out I recently won from your paper.

My daughter and I got around as many of the attractions as time would allow and shopped too.

The icing on the cake was seeing Prince Charles and the Archbishop at the Minster.

Everything was perfect.

Thank you.

Janet Fowler, Greenacre Way, Wyke.