PETER MULLEN: REV Peter Mullen (Echo, Feb 4) told the tragic tale of how he was attacked and persecuted by a miserable bunch of atheistical misfits from the National Secular Society. And all because he invited donations for his marvellous Wren church in the City of London.

Our take on this matter is rather different. Mr Mullen, like several other vicars with churches in the City of London, has latched on to an obscure statute which allows him to raise a voluntary tax among his parishioners.

When you read the demand that was sent out to businesses in the City, it is far from clear that payment is purely optional. Yes, it does say that payment is voluntary, but this very official looking rates levy also says that "conscientious objectors" will not be subject to "proceedings" if they don't pay, which gives the unmistakable impression that proceedings will be taken against people who aren't conscientious objectors if they fail to cough up. The truth is that no proceedings are possible.

We just wondered why the Church can get away with it and then have the cheek to bleat about being insulted when someone challenges them?

We have no objection to vicars raising funds for the upkeep of their churches, but we want them to do it honestly. If they want donations, let them say so, not send out these misleading and dubious rates levies.

Mr Mullen is understandably annoyed with the National Secular Society for catching him out. But his smug insults don't get him off the hook. The Church likes to present itself as the embodiment of all that is good, honest and virtuous in our society. If this is an example of how it carries on, we'll stick with honourable atheism. - Keith Porteous Wood, Executive Director, National Secular Society.

ROAD FUNDS

IT was interesting to read of the crackdown on vehicle road tax dodgers (Echo, Feb 8).

I am a pensioner but still I pay quite a large sum to tax my car every year. Maybe my maths are wrong, but if 60 owners are fined a total of £1,200, then this would mean that they were fined an average of £20 each, whereas in the same article it states that an on the spot fine of £200 can be imposed.

Am I also right in thinking that if the vehicle is untaxed, then the insurance cover would also be invalid?

I've worked out that if I can avoid being caught without tax for six months I would be in profit. Worth a thought! - George Blood, Bishop Auckland.

COUNCIL TAX

ONCE again Durham County tax payers are facing an inflation busting increase in council tax. This is on top of increase totalling some 46 per cent in the last four years.

Sooner, rather than later, I believe the council must make significant reductions in expenditure, and stop blaming the Government for shortage of funds.

It could do so by reducing bureaucracy, and trimming unnecessary or low priority services (of which there are plenty).

The leader recently stated he had 'challenged' chief officers to identify savings. He is subsequently happy to report savings achieved of £8m. This is all of 1.5 per cent of total spend - some challenge!

To me this paltry and pathetic attempt smacks of political indifference to the plight of tax payers, especially to those on low or fixed incomes.

If Redcar and Cleveland can achieve nil tax increases for three consecutive years, Durham could do likewise - if there were the political will.

Ultimately it is up to us all to ensure we support to the full, new and more enlightened candidates at the next county elections. - David Middleton, Chester-le-Street.

PIG FARMING

NEIL Herron (HAS, Feb 6) fulminates about a regulation about to be introduced by the EC to partly mitigate the sufferings of pigs in intensive pork production units.

That he can write at such length about these poor creatures without uttering one word of compassion for them or protest at their treatment tells us all we need to know about him and his contact with reality.

For the reality is that this particular regulation, like so many other well intentioned ones, will be flouted systematically and with impunity by the farmers concerned.

What exists on paper and what exists in the real world are two very different things.

Certainly, we don't need more regulations of this kind; what we need are a few very comprehensive ones with effective teeth.

Until then Mr Herron should keep his own snout out of matters about which he clearly knows and cares nothing. - T Kelly, Crook.

LORD CHANCELLOR

PUBLIC sector unions have reacted angrily to a proposed £22,000 pay rise for the Lord Chancellor. Also he will receive a pension package worth £2m from the State when he retires, it has emerged.

The deal will come on top of any private pensions Lord Irvine has built up in his career as a barrister, Lord Irvine, 62, is entitled to an index-linked pension of £90,000 a year and a tax free lump sum of £181,000.

Every year the Treasury takes more than £400m out of the miners' pension funds, equivalent to nearly £1,000 per scheme member.

At the same time many retired miners still struggle to get by on low incomes.

The Treasury's vast rake off is the unintended result of a 1994 deal; in exchange for guaranteeing miners' pension entitlements, the Government takes 50 per cent of any surpluses. The surpluses that have been generated have proved to be far bigger than anyone imagined possible.

Lord Irvine's pension package makes me green with envy. - DT Murray, Coxhoe, Durham.