MAUREEN Smith is understandably aggrieved that she was kept in the dark about her 14-year-old daughter's abortion.

Her protests raise legitimate concerns about the issue of termination involving girls under the age of consent.

It is an issue which requires immediate consideration by the appropriate health and education authorities.

It is apparent that confusion exists over the relative rights of the child and the parents, and the degree of patient confidentiality.

If necessary, the Government must issue more precise guidelines to balance the rights of parents against the need to provide protection for their children.

We do not dispute Mrs Smith's claim that the abortion has left her daughter traumatised.

However, we fail to see why Mrs Smith felt she could only make her protests known by identifying her daughter and subjecting her to the media spotlight.

Surely this will only have added to her daughter's trauma.

A club to be proud of

SUNDERLAND embark on the lottery of the play-offs tonight at the start of a crucial few days which could see them on the brink of a return to the Premiership.

To reach this far has been an outstanding achievement for a club, which, at the start of the season, was on the brink of financial ruin.

Having offloaded so many players to reduce the wages bill, manager Mick McCarthy has built a team virtually from scratch.

Win or lose over the two legs against Crystal Palace, Sunderland have enjoyed a far better season than even the most ardent fans could have hoped for.

We hope that supporters turn out in force at the Stadium of Light on Monday to mark a remarkable turnaround in fortunes.