CRIMINAL JUSTICE: I READ with great interest your comment on the Tony Martin case (Echo, Jul 29).

I wholeheartedly agree that it is the criminal justice system and poor law enforcement which is letting us all down.

In a smaller vein, the problem with vandals daubing graffiti on the Abbey Road playing fields pavilion etc, is exactly the same in context with my initial comments.

Instead of stopping the problem and ensuring some of these vandals 'feel pain' as it were, what are the authorities going to do? Build a fence round it and fit CCTV at the taxpayers' cost of course.

Why don't the people charged with keeping law and order just do their jobs properly?

I would far rather see the money well spent on effective 'policing' and law enforcement than this apparent ready acceptance that nothing can be done with these vandals.

Has anyone seen anyone prosecuted for vandalism recently? No chance.

We have a society which can apparently see the smallest detail from outer space, but we seem totally incapable of spotting anyone from a few yards. - SG Hodgson, Darlington.

EUROPE

BILL Morehead (HAS, Jul 29) is sadly disillusioned if he thinks the UK has benefited from EU funding.

The UK is a net contributor to the EU budget, ie we pay far more than what we get back, and the use of what we get back is decided by the EC, not us.

If the two of us went into a pub, he gave me £10, I bought him a drink and kept the change, would he be grateful for my generous funding? I doubt it.

Up to 1999 our net contribution was £37.478bn (source: HM Government, Central Statistics Office). So no one can honestly praise the virtues of 'EU funding' in the UK. - Jamie Mash, Northallerton.

RREGENERATION

THE key to funding future regeneration plans for Billingham is to have a vision that the people of the town can buy into. The Gateway in the Park has proven too controversial and the wise politicians and shrewd business fraternity know it.

Stockton Council has tried desperately, at much public cost, to sell the Gateway for three years, and any community support they had is clearly dwindling. They should bite the bullet, cut the losses and seek an alternative solution.

One such vision is to concentrate on regenerating the town centre itself, by including the Forum with its fantastic theatre and John Whitehead Park, both potential jewels. The vision should also include a solution to the 'field of bricks' that used to be our Technical College but now belongs to the private sector; but isn't that where the council are looking for funding anyway?

Billingham is a great town and might even warrant 'special case' status after the loss of ICI, but the key to any success is really listening to ordinary people. It really is that simple. - Fred Jones, Billingham.

EDUCATION

There was a time, in near memory, when a schoolteacher held one of the most illustrious roles in the country.

Young graduates sought this hugely-respected post for the joy of being involved with young people.

But now, standards have deteriorated so much bosses want to install security cameras in the classrooms of a North-East school, for teachers' own protection (Echo, July 28).

We are unable to cope, say the Vardy Foundation, with the escalating vandalism and theft in schools.

What a sign of the times, and surely another reason the Conservatives shouldn't have been ditched for Tony Blair. - Aled Jones, Bridlington.

COUNCIL ALLOWANCES

THE Liberal Democrat Group voted against the Durham County Council proposal to increase members' allowances by £1,000 more than inflation.

We were of course defeated by the massed ranks of the Labour Group. Nonetheless, we wish the public to know what we are doing to honour our pledge to devote the increase to the benefit of the local community rather than ourselves.

We first asked to be allowed not to take the increase and divert it to our ward community fund, but were informed by the county treasurer that this was not legally possible. Councillors must take the increase and it must have tax and national insurance deducted as normal.

We have therefore decided to covenant the increase to the local charities listed below so that the local community can benefit to the maximum and the income tax be recovered.

Councillors Barbara Howarth and Nigel Martin will donate their increase to the Mayor's Charity Appeal in aid of Durham City Volunteer Bureau. Councillors George Hunter and John Lightley will give theirs to the Durham City Skatepark Partnership. In this way a broad spectrum of the local community across the Durham Council area will benefit.

We would urge those fellow members of the county council who feel as strongly as us about this matter to follow our example. - County Councillors Barbara Howarth, George Hunter, John Lightley, Nigel Martin, Durham County Council, Aykley Heads.