ID CARDS - A good reason for ID cards is to give police the opportunity to check on illegal immigrants already here or coming soon.

A visit to Dover illustrates the sheer numbers of lorries travelling to and from Britain. I reckon 100,000 or so illegal immigrants are smuggled here every year.

They are illegal, need money, and often turn to crime.

They are tending to take over whole towns, persuading the original inhabitants, who feel isolated, to move out.

Somehow the nave illegal immigrants have to be educated into thinking that Britain is not the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. - F Atkinson, Shincliffe.

THE expensive idea of identity cards should be forgotten to use money on basic things like getting a better standard of policing.

To keep police stations open and build new prisons on greenfield sites would be more sensible and keep crime down and stop the criminals and paedophiles from thriving in this country. - N Tate, Darlington.

POLITICS

FOR the last time I ask: are we so short of good men in Westminster that yet again Mr Blair can only see those who have let him down as members of his team?

He should ask himself what must the other MPs be thinking when they see that, only by making mistakes, will they become members of the inner circle and when the going gets tough, which door will they be knocking on - ten or 11? It's worth thinking about. - Peter Brown, Trimdon Village.

CRIME PREVENTION

WHY not irritate criminals and thieves by putting a pin number on cards which is incorrect? That should frustrate anyone who has stolen your card.

On bunches of keys, write the name and address of a relative or friend and, if your keys are lost and found by an honest person, they will be returned to your friend or relative.

If, however, they have been stolen, the thief will waste a lot of time trying to use the keys to get inside a house that they will not fit. - E Reynolds, Wheatley Hill.

WAR SOCIETY

THIS year marks a historic landmark: 60 years since the end of the Second World War. It will soon pass from living memory into pure history, a truly momentous landmark. Visit these famous sites before it is too late, this may be the last chance for many veterans as official re-unions are being wound down.

The National Lottery is still funding veterans and their spouses or carers, and war widows. Veterans are eligible for a fixed sum of £300 to enable them to visit areas in Northern Europe where they once served. Qualifying persons may claim up to £225 for a carer to accompany them. The funding finishes in December 2005.

In order to claim, veterans must call 0800 169 2277.

In 2005, our society will visit the Normandy Beaches, Arnhem/Nijmegan, the beautiful region of the Ardennes and Luxembourg, Colditz Castle and also Dambuster Dams, the Rhine Crossing, Reichswald and Rheinberg Cemeteries. We also visit the First World War sites of the Somme, Ypres and Verdun.

All trips feature an experienced guide, a full commentary in a comfortable coach. Breakfast and evening meals are included in the price.

We will also make visits to cemeteries for individuals upon request for pilgrimage or research purposes and such visits are guaranteed provided they are arranged in advance.

For further details, please send a SAE to Alex Bulloch, 43 Norfolk Place, Baldwin Road, Kings Norton, Birmingham, B30 3LW or telephone (0121) 4599008. Details are on our website at www.battlefieldtours.org.uk - Alex Bulloch, Birmingham War Research Society.

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

IT is quite disgraceful of E Carlin (HAS, Dec 24) to attack Darran West's competence as a driving instructor in order to justify these grotesque and tasteless Christmas lights that some people think add to the Christmas atmosphere.

Has she never heard of local councils that pounce on business people who erect small signs by the roadside and claim they distract drivers?

Christmas lights are yet another example of the laissez-faire mentality of people who think they are entitled to do just what they want: for example, the thundering music from barbeques, noisy neighbours, idiots in cars, year round fireworks, anti-social louts, etc. Whenever more sensible people complain they are branded as spoilsports.

My message to all Christmas light lovers is that your pot-bellied Santas, your Disney character has-beens and your total disregard for saving energy mean just one thing - you have more money than sense. - D Brearley, Middlesbrough.

EUROPE

THE North-East has just faced a referendum on the proposed regional assembly, and the result was a definitive no.

In 2006, a referendum is due on the European Constitution and it is essential that people can make an informed choice on this hugely important decision for Britain.

There were widespread complaints during the regional assembly referendum of too little information too late, and we mustn't make the same mistake again.

The European Parliament has approved funding of £6.25m for an information policy campaign ahead of the referendum, and I welcome this investment.

The referendum on the constitution is an opportunity for Britain to sit back and take stock of where it stands in the world, how it relates to other countries, and how peace and democracy can best prevail here in Europe and globally. The sooner we get on with that debate the better. - Fiona Hall MEP, Liberal Democrat, North-East of England.

CHARITY APPEAL

THE Katharine Dormandy Trust is a national charity whose aim is to eliminate the suffering of people with haemophilia and other bleeding disorders.

Haemophilia is also one of the most costly conditions to treat. The lifetime cost to treat one person with severe haemophilia by means of transfusion is £5m. Finding a cure would mean a significant saving to the NHS.

Since its creation, the KD Trust has invested in bleeding disorder research, and over the past 15 years the charity has supported gene therapy for haemophilia research projects.

At the KD Trust we are convinced that the time, the target and the place are right for a final push to cure haemophilia. That is why we have launched a £5m Haemappeal campaign to focus further on gene therapy research to bring forward a cure for this lifelong - and extremely costly - medical condition.

We would like to ask your readers to support our appeal. More details can be found at www.kdtrust.org.uk or by telephoning 0207 431 8276. - Professor Ted Tuddenham, Chairman, Katharine Dormandy Trust.