GEORGE GALLOWAY: I CAN'T believe the publicity you are giving to George Galloway (Echo, June 29). Here's a man - a supporter of Saddam Hussein who murdered thousands of his own people - and yet you give him space to crucify our Prime Minister.

To me and many others, the very fact that he was, as it seems, on very good terms with this man, makes him a very sly person.

I would like that stupid grin knocked off his face, so here's hoping someone gets the chance. - F Rumsey, Bishop Auckland.

FLOOD OF THANKS

THIS letter is in appreciation of the speed, efficiency and general helpfulness and kindness of all the various services which came into Thirlby, North Yorkshire, after the recent flooding.

The unlimited supply of bottled drinking water appeared immediately and we were given information and advice through leaflets which Hambleton District Council issued.

Through several days of extreme heat, the services worked long and late to complete the immediate repair to our road and bridge so that we, the locals, could use them and to restore some semblance of normality to our lovely village. - Name and address supplied.

ROAD HUMPS

HAVING carried out a protracted correspondence with Durham County Council during the past year or so, the latest letter appears to indicate that might has prevailed, with democracy coming a poor runner-up, in this particular issue.

I refer to the humps in some of the roads of Jubilee Estate in Shildon.

These humps were placed as a traffic-calming measure to stop people travelling too fast and causing a number of accidents and injuries, especially to children.

There were 15 incidents, not all causing injury, from 1997 to the present day, but I am unable to gain figures regarding any prosecutions for injuries caused or for speeding motorists during this time.

Resulting from these incidents, large humps were placed on our roads after an alleged consultation process with some residents who were not made aware of the type of measures the council intended to install.

Some Shildon Town Council members have supported my protests, but Durham County Council continues to ignore their views.

It is remarkable, though, how few of our elected representatives are directly affected and hindered by these humps. I feel the monstrosities would not have been in place if more councillors had been inconvenienced and their cars damaged each time they ventured out.

I again call upon Durham County Council to heed the wishes of 200 people in Shildon who took the time and trouble to sign a petition asking that the humps be removed from the roads of Jubilee Estate. - J Smith, Shildon.

CAR FUMES

WHAT an unhappy person you must be Mr Reynolds. Every other week you are complaining about something or someone. You have now turned your attention to smokers (HAS, June 29).

I have no doubt whatsoever that you own a car, which omits noxious gases out of the exhaust and which we, the public, have to endure.

Therefore, your attention would be better spent in that direction by phoning the nearest garage and getting the car repaired, therefore ridding the atmosphere of the fumes. - NM Peart, West Auckland.

BURNING ISSUE

I THINK P Wilson must have misunderstood my original question (HAS, June 24).

During my working life I was a MI Mech E and am fairly conversant with the theory of burning coal in steam raising plants and using wind to obtain rotary motion.

The amount of emissions issuing from a fossil fuelled power station chimney is directly proportional to the amount of fuel fed in. So the only way to reduce emissions is to reduce fuel input, but this is not practical during normal operation for many reasons.

The amount of electrical power fed into our overall system is around 38,000 megawatts of continuous generation.

If a wind farm of, say, eight turbines producing 15 megawatts at maximum output comes on stream, its power is fed into a local distribution (not the National Grid) at a relatively low voltage. Due to the normal ebb and flow of demand on the National Grid, this small output will not affect the output from any fossil fuelled power station.

Therefore fuel input will not be reduced and neither will the level of emissions.

The number of 1,500 wind turbines quoted by G Staff (HAS, June 25) is a trifle conservative. It could be 12,000 for the UK if the Government's targets are to be met. - J Routledge, Witton Gilbert.

MONEY TALKS

VINCENT Weldon asked whose country is this? (HAS, June 16). Theoretically, it is the people of Britain but, in practical terms, the money lenders.

His second complaint is of taxes so high the average working person will work about half their working lives to pay their tax demands and still share a personal debt in excess of £1m.

Nobody knows exactly what the government debt is because, over the past ten years, the construction of 98 per cent of all schools, hospitals and other public buildings has been paid for by hire purchase, or PFI in the spin world.

Credit and debt are the foundation stones of capitalism and the gravestones of society.

One of the greatest tragedies of today is the high number of our young professionals emigrating, being replaced by unskilled foreign labour. This once great country is being sacrificed on the altar of predatory capitalism. Wake up Britain before it is too late.

You have The Northern Echo - which is not afraid to print readers' opinions or views - use it. I am not a member or supporter of any political party or group. - Stephen Kielty, Middlesbrough.

ZIMBABWE

THE problems in Zimbabwe ought to be an international scandal when the end result is to kill citizens.

Mugabe's action may not be quite as overt as it was in Cambodia where millions were bludgeoned to death, but death by starvation will be equally effective.

The Echo's comment (June 28) was therefore very disappointing, choosing to highlight the Conservative policy of controlled immigration and missing the point completely.

The Conservatives have been stressing the problems of Zimbabwe long enough. International action against such an obvious dictator would surely mean ordinary Zimbabweans would have no need to flee what should be a prosperous nation.

However, the Echo should be aware, as pointed out by the Conservatives, that Britain does not fully control its immigration policy, it is overseen by the EU.

Moreover, the reason I earlier commented upon international action is that Britain cannot act on her own, her ability now subsumed in the EU's common foreign policy.

With the backbone of a melting clair, the EU will simply watch.

Stop looking for the mouse when the elephant is sat in the front room. - Jim Tague, Bishop Auckland Conservatives.