SIR - I use the bus most days to commute from Thornton to Leeds, not returning until around 10pm.

The morning journey is very quiet but the evening journey is very unpleasant, as are any additional day time journeys that I make.

The main problem seems to be the increasing use of mobile phones on speaker; blaring out music with no consideration to other passengers (I use earphones with my mp3).

I have often tried to ask people, in a polite manner, to turn the music down, and have met with varying degrees of verbal abuse and threats. Most people seem to put up with the situation rather than risk violence, which I can understand.

I have never seen a plain clothes officer on any of the buses and wonder if these actually exist.

It's time bus companies realised the quality of the journey is just as important as getting there and do something about the situation.

Bus drivers have enough to do with driving the bus and catching fare dodgers without having to deal with other situations. Bring back conductors!

Mike Joul, Ladyfield, Thornton