PETER MULLEN: HOW could such a biased and misinformed article as Peter Mullen's column (Echo, Feb 8) be published?

My daughter has had an eating disorder for 13 years, and you did a full page article focusing on the problem just a few weeks ago. It was a very well balanced article.

Mr Mullen states it is a "self-inflicted" disorder. Has he never heard of mental illness? Eating disorders are not about choosing to eat or not to eat. They are deep-seated mental problems which result in not being able to eat.

There is no choice in this. Is he really proposing anyone would choose the route in life of a mental illness?

He should know this or stop writing as if he understands eating problems, which he clearly does not. Where is his compassion for an illness which affects so many young talented people, puts a hold on their lives and can result in life-long medical problems? - Shirley Bradley, Durham.

STOCKTON PANTHER

MY wife and I visited our daughter and son-in-law last Saturday in the small village of Whitton, near Stockton.

During the afternoon we went for a short walk. While my family were looking towards a pond, I glanced at the stretch of lane in front of us.

Suddenly a panther-like creature was crossing the lane hardly ten metres from me. It was not running, but since the lane is narrow it had disappeared before I could draw the attention of my family.

I was of course taken completely by surprise. The animal was jet black with short fur, shoulder height about 70cm, with a long tail, the end of which formed a small, almost three-quarter circle.

It looked at me as it crossed the lane with its short pointed ears standing up. It was definitely not a dog.

Minutes later, I stopped a horse rider and he was not surprised at what I had seen as on previous occasions he too had seen the big cat nearby. - WJN Hackl, Blackpool.

WEAR VALLEY

A FEW years ago, Wear Valley Council spent thousands of pounds renovating houses on Woodhouse Close estate in Bishop Auckland. This involved new walls around gardens plus turf, new fitted kitchens, new doors, double glazing and central heating.

And now they have started to pull down the same houses.

The council has stopped cutting gardens for pensioners, but still sends out letters telling them their lawns have to be cut.

I asked for some rubbish to be taken away and, when I told them it was a laminate flooring I ruined when I left a tap running, I was told it the wrong sort of rubbish. This attitude can only encourage fly tipping.

On top of this, the council carried on paying a councillor thousands of pounds for sunning himself half way round the world. - A McKimm, Crook.

DISABLED PARKING

I AGREE with Joe Wellthorpe about disabled badge holders (HAS, Jan 25). In my town there are numerous places for disabled drivers, including the market place, main shopping street, back streets and all supermarkets. Yet some disabled drivers park on pavements and I, as the mother of an eight-month-old child, have to walk on the road.

At my local ASDA or Morrisons I find disabled badge holders parked in spaces for parents and child only. But if I parked in one of the disabled bays I would be given a ticket.

So come on disabled badge holders. Give parents and children some thought when you park in our bay - because I have seen some so-called disabled parkers at the supermarket walk better than I can. - Name and address supplied, County Durham.

HUGH PENDER

THE deaths of so many children in concentration camps was horrible in the extreme (Echo, Feb 3). May I simply add that Iraqi children so cruelly killed by the Americans and ourselves are remembered by all decent people. Children seem to be fair game by those who feel they are an obstacle to their grand plans.

If you ignore the numbers game, we are as guilty as anyone of atrocities against children in pursuit of our own ideology. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

MANY will agree with Hugh Pender in his condemnation of the death and destruction of those thousands of innocent Iraqi lives (HAS, Jan 25). Will Mr Pender now confirm he will not vote for Tony Blair or his representative in the next election? If not, Mr Pender's words now are absolutely meaningless and hypocritical. - Peter Johnston, Darlington.

PERCENTAGES

SURELY there must be some better way of announcing council tax rises other than by percentages.

To one ratepayer, a four per cent rise on their £100 rates means just £4, but to a £1,000 ratepayer it is £40.

The same applies to the pension rises: a poor OAP might get £4, but a retired MP might get £400.

The percentage system means that the difference between rich and poor gets greater and greater. - E Reynolds, Wheatley Hill.

KEVAN JONES

LABOUR councillors in North Durham don't need opponents when MP Kevan Jones is constantly sniping at them. In recent weeks he has criticised Durham County Council and Derwentside District Council in The Northern Echo, and has frequently attacked Chester-le-Street District Council. Yet this man is perfectly happy to stand on a Labour ticket.

No political party needs disloyalty, and the sooner he is run out of North Durham the better. - Name supplied, Chester-le-Street.

LIQUOR LICENCES

THE Government has now changed the issuing of liquor licences from being a judicial duty for magistrates to local authorities.

In the past, magistrates made decisions without any bias or financial incentive and taking into account local views.

The change means that, in Darlington, the council will now issue liquor licences. Council-run venues like the Dolphin Centre, Arts Centre, Civic Theatre, etc all require licences.

Will the council really have no bias when issuing licences to its own premises and to its neighbouring competitors? - D Vincent, Darlington.

BANKING

ON February 3 I paid a credit card bill in cash at the Shildon branch of HSBC and was charged £5 for the transaction. I have no argument with paying a reasonable charge for this (it used to be £2) as I choose to bank elsewhere. But £5 is a rip off. What possible justification can there be? -PG Deakin, Shildon.

SCAMS

FOLLOWING the article about scams (Echo, Feb 4), I recently received a letter with the good news that my husband had won $618,000 in a Spanish prize draw. Enclosed with the letter was a form for his banking information.

I am too long in the tooth to believe this sort of scheme, but I imagine there are people who might be gullible enough to send their bank details.

The main reason that I did not reply is that my husband has been dead for over seven years. - Name supplied, Darlington.