May 19, 2006

- Name supplied, Heighington.

I AM shocked to learn that there are female sex slaves in Darlington, and young women being led around the town centre via a chain (Echo, May 18).

I find this disgusting and utterly degrading, and I urge all females not to join this sect or any other like it. While I may agree with the private lives of swinging couples who have sexual intercourse with other couples, I find it alarming that we have a group of Goreans operating in Darlington who claim to use women as slaves.

What type of society are we living in?

I am no prude when it comes to sex, but I think that people who live their lives in such a manner and by the rules of science fiction novels have deep psychiatric problems that need addressing immediately, no matter how good the sex may be.

- Christopher Wardell, Darlington.

CHRISTOPHER WARDELL

HOW much longer are we to be bombarded with the incoherent ramblings of Christopher Wardell (HAS, May 15)? Of course we are all unhappy that the Afghan hijackers are to stay in the UK.

To call the High Court judges left wing is totally ludicrous, but so typical of Mr Wardell's contributions. Please Mr Wardell, if you insist on writing about every subject under the sun, be more circumspect with your comments. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

NUCLEAR POWER

THE various methods of generating our future electrical energy needs put forward by Councillor David Freeman (HAS, May 15) are all very well in theory.

But in reality we need to be pragmatic. In future, the bulk of our coal and gas supplies will need to be imported, in many cases from unstable areas, leaving us open to exploitation and possible terrorist action against pipelines.

We could of course open up more open cast or new deep coal mines, but where could you do this and do people now wish to work underground?

In addition some overseas coal producers exploit their workers.

Windpower is erratic and unreliable so wind-driven generators need back up systems to cover for when it does not blow.

Also, power from wind turbines is suitable only for local domestic needs. Solar power can really only produce low watt and voltage outputs suitable for battery charging.

Viable hydro-electric installations need large high dams and abundant supplies of water. So where would they be sited and who or what would be flooded?

Implementing and controlling low energy usage in all the millions of domestic and other establishments to everyone's satisfaction would be possible.

The most practical viable method of meeting our electrical energy needs is by using large high output generators driven by steam turbines - much as we do now. The only argument is how to heat the water to produce the steam.

Nuclear power is the answer.

The problem can be overcome. - J Routledge, Witton Gilbert.

HOW reassuring it is that we won't be dependent upon imported natural gas, just upon imported uranium. That, and our reactors and dumps not leaking. - John Riseley, Harrogate.

PENSIONS

IF it were not so serious it would be laughable. The state pension will increase in line with earnings starting in 2012, 2014 or 2016 or never.

Chancellor Gordon Brown seems to think most pensioners are on £100,000 plus a year and don't need a pension increase.

By the time Mr Brown and Tony Blair sort it all out most of us will be pushing up daisies. I agree with Peter Dolan (HAS, May 15) that MPs seem to think we are a population of cretins.

I for one have had enough of these bungling idiots. I'm off to Baghdad. - AL Carter, Marske, Redcar.

BUSES

BEWARE June Briggs (HAS, May 13) and others, including Mike Amos, complaining about bus services: the vengeance of Arriva is swift and devastating, as my community knows from experience as its service was withdrawn after complaints.

Former bus operators used some of their profits to subsidise some services in low population areas. Not Arriva. They have no intention of providing a public service unless there are profits to be made. - JW Scott, Kelloe.

WHAT do June Briggs and Tony Kelly (HAS, May 13) mean about Arriva being unreliable lately?

They have always been unreliable. That is why we see so few people on the buses and more cars on the roads.

We don't have a bus at all here.

They have removed at a stroke the only link between Coxhoe/Kelloe and the Trimdons. People from Trimdon have to do a ten-mile trip in a half circle to Coxhoe, then come back over again into Kelloe at twice the cost.

As I have read in this column before, we are ruled by big business. The executors and shareholders come first and to hell with the people.

Neither the council nor the Government give a damn either.

We elderly living in rural areas are not cost effective. Surely when everyone here pays full council tax we should be entitled to some kind of bus service? - N Staff, Kelloe.

TV LICENCES

THE gas and electricity companies a number of years ago dropped the 50p charge on paying bills at Post Offices to encourage people to pay somewhere where there is a modicum of security.

As the TV Licence is a Government Tax Certificate, where is the security in a pay point in a corner shop? There may be many more ways to pay a TV licence, but they are all at a cost to our local post offices.

The Northern Echo has fought for deserving causes in the past.

How about: "Save Our Post Offices"? - Ken Bowes, Shildon.

PARKING TICKET

I HAVE noticed that big time lawyers can get a case kicked out if they find a mistake on a prosecution form.

Recently I was given a parking ticket. Although my registration last letter is G, it was written down as C. I would have thought this would cause a cancellation of the ticket as someone could be using dodgy plates.

But Darlington police told me I had to pay the £30 as it seems the number plate was near enough.

Is this how the law is nowadays - near enough? No wonder crime is on the increase.

Maybe one must be 25 per cent dishonest to be 75 per cent honest, or bend the rules to get a conviction. - JA Stott, Hardwick, Co Durham.