SIR - Reading the story about the theft of the war memorial plaques from Eccleshill cenotaph (T&A, September 19), I wonder what this once-proud country, that has always honoured its war dead in the highest esteem, has come to.

These sorts of crimes are no surprise with the bad manners and crime that now plagues this society.

We only have to look at another incident recently when a group of war veterans had verbal abuse hurled at them in Skipton when they were paying their respects to fallen comrades.

What an insult to those who gave their lives in the last two wars for our society to have turned out like it has, one that can't even show some respect to its war dead.

R Halliday, Crag Road, Shipley