IRAQ: WHAT a pity Piers Morgan did not say the Mirror pictures were 'illustrations' of what was going on in Iraq.

It is clear the substance of the pictures was true and apparently a well-liked and respected editor has lost his job.

Bush and Blair can lie through their teeth, cause the deaths of thousands of innocent people and yet stay in their jobs.

If politics were a game of football, Bush and Blair would have had an early bath long ago. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

WILLIE WATSON

I WAS very interested to read David Warner's recent tribute to Yorkshire and England cricketer, Willie Watson, who has died aged 84.

I was a schoolboy at the time of the Watson and Bailey partnership against Australia in 1953.

England looked like being bowled out for a low score, before these two came together.

I came home from school on the day and was amazed to find on television that England had reached 200 with Watson and Bailey still together.

It was my first experience of seeing a match-saving stand in cricket and it was truly memorable.

Some years later the famous radio commentator Rex Alston said that the Watson and Bailey stand was one of the most tense and exciting events in cricket that he could remember.

I was intrigued to note that in David Warner's piece that the partnership put on 163, of which Willie Watson's contribution was 109.

Such was the effect of Watson's achievement, people at the time said that he should be picked by England in every match they played for the remainder of his career. - LD Wilson, Guisborough.

NEW LABOUR

IT did my eyes good to read (HAS, May 19) Mr Pratt's letter. I thought I was the only one who could remember those times he mentioned.

The three-day week, flying pickets, Tony Blair and friends out in front on the anti-anything marches. Not like now when people can't march, can't voice opinions, can't gather at New Year in London.

Those times when John Prescott said you can't buy your council house, when he only has three or four homes.

The worst thing these Tories did was to allow the common man in the street to buy shares in BT, gas electricity and their council houses.

I say that all these staunch anti-Tories should sell all the above and not make a profit on the sale and go back to all the rubbish uncollected, the dead unable to be buried and all the other things I can't remember of that period.

Come on, move into the real world Mr Pratt. - Peter Brown, Trimdon Village.

EUROPE

MR Wood (HAS, May 14) asked for information about the consequences of "voting yes or no" next month to Britain's entry into Europe.

Britain became a full member of the European Union in 1973 and has enjoyed the benefits of the membership ever since in various ways.

Britain has set its red lines on taxation, social security, criminal justice, foreign policy, defence and treaties where it will not accept simple majority voting.

The power of the democratically-elected European Parliament has grown over the years and includes the power to legislate, the power of the purse and the power to supervise the executive.

It is not possible in a letter to go into detail about this, but let us remember that the European Parliament is an institution which meets and deliberates in public and publishes its resolutions in an official journal which is not difficult to obtain.

It has also an Ombudsman, and an individual or group can petition the President of the European Parliament with requests or grievances on matters within the EU's jurisdiction. - E Whittaker, Richmond.

WASHING LINES

RUTH Campbell certainly raised a laugh with her comments on the "housewives mafia" versus the complaining neighbour in the battle of the clothes lines (Echo, May 13).

In a world where so much that is horrific, disheartening and anger provoking is reported in the media day after day, this beautiful piece of English eccentricity lifts the spirits.

Thank you, Ruth Campbell, for your tongue-in-cheek report and thank you, Skipton ladies, for the story. - EA Moralee, Billingham.

LAW AND ORDER

DAVID Blunkett has told Britain's police chiefs (Echo, May 14) that the public had to play a greater role in tackling crime.

What use is this when judges and magistrates continue to give lenient and inappropriate sentences which cause despair and public outrage and further erode the confidence in our legal system? - Leslie Lewis, Bishop Auckland.

MIDDLE EAST

THE situation in Palestine is now really desperate, with the brutal Israeli attacks, massacres of innocent Palestinians, destruction of homes and crops and diversion of their water supplies for Israeli use.

Now the building of the massive 'Apartheid Wall' (which makes half the Palestinian workers unemployed) will result in starvation of many thousands (mostly children) unless urgent international action is taken.

Israeli movement restrictions now prevent the UN's delivery of thousands of tons of food for Gaza's refugees.

What response is made by Western countries? The US shamefully backs up Israeli forces, supplying them large quantities of offensive weapons. UK arms sales to Israel still continue.

Is our Government content to let tyranny and persecution rule in the Middle East or will it take any strong actions to help save Palestinian lives and human rights?

A boycott of Israeli goods seems essential to show strong condemnation of Israeli inhumanities and atrocities. An International Peace Force for Palestine might help to direct Israeli withdrawal from illegally-occupied territories, stop the 'wall' and could help stop suicide bombers.

Prompt action is now needed to prevent an horrific humanitarian disaster. - H Bishop, Darlington.

ALAN MILBURN

JOHN Gillmore (HAS, May 12) writes of Alan Milburn and his £30,000 reward for so little work for a company involved in privatisation projects in the health service.

This is the same Alan Milburn who did not even raise an eyebrow in support of the Darlington Magnet men who had a works dispute some time ago. The same Alan Milburn who ducked and dodged any help for the Richard Neale victims in their fight for an open inquiry into the affair. - Fred Holdstock, Catterick Garrison.

ROYAL MAIL

IN the last five months I have lost six letters from my granddaughter from Scarborough, and two bank cards posted in March and early May. I also posted my pension papers on March 31 and they have not arrived at their destination.

I would like to know what does the Government intends to do about this joke service.

The simple solution is to privatise it before they lose the plot altogether. - Gordon Taylor, Shotton Colliery.