PAUL TRIPPETT: I QUESTION why councillor Paul Trippett has politicised his refusal to accept the increased Durham County councillors' allowance (Echo, Aug 7).

He described as "Old Labour" those councillors who supported the increases. His actions, though, displayed the social and economic considerations expected of a councillor of any political persuasion by the community they represent.

The councillors who supported the increase failed to think about their communities and instead illustrated self-interest only, which is the philosophy of which political party? - Alan Kelly, Ferryhill.

CONGRATULATIONS Paul Trippett - at last a politician who puts the welfare of the ratepayers before his own. It should not be councillor Trippett who is suspended from the Labour Party, it should be all those who have pocketed the extra cash.

When will we get a politician who sees sense in not just refusing to take extra money but who realises that it makes more sense to take a pay cut?

When everybody's wages rise, the end result is that the value of money goes down. Double everyone's pay tomorrow and the value of money is halved. This is what has happened recently over a working life so that money put aside for pensions has lost 50 per cent of its value.

If councillors led the way by taking a pay cut of one penny in the pound each year, then at the end of a working life of 50 years, everybody's money would be worth twice as much and their pensions would be worth double. - E Reynolds, Wheatley Hill.

CLARENCE HOUSE

AFTER the heart-rending closures of homes for the elderly in County Durham, it is galling to read of the opening of Clarence House as the new residence of the ageing Prince Charles and his mistress Camilla Parker Bowles.

This was subsidised to the tune of £4.5m by the taxpayer, yet during Charles's three months summer holiday, we will pay for the privilege of viewing the ground floor rooms only, even though we have already paid for them through our taxes.

This lavish refurbishment should all have been paid for solely by Prince Charles. - Anne Jones, Ferryhill.

SHEEP SHAPE

FIRST the square sheep, as Mackenzie Thorpe is exhibiting in Richmond (Echo, Aug 7). Now make way for the round ones (which sounds rather like a Cliff Richard song). In my 30 years as an artist drawing farm animals, I have found that cows and sheep are far from square, but actually round. - F Atkinson, Shincliffe.

HOME GUARD

WITH so much violence and crime in the country, the Government should form the Home Guard to protect the public. Members would be armed with cameras and notebooks, and they would be eyes and ears for the police.

All available men and women would do 48 hours of duty a year and meet at premises such as schools. Their presence would stop vandalism and arson. They would patrol their district in groups of four every four hours after sunset.

I think it could be a winner with good organisation. - Stanley Bowden, Ferryhill.

EUROPE

ON the question of space research, and despite what was said on the BBC Parliament channel by a Eurosceptic politician, the proposed European Constitution says: "In the areas of research, technological development and space, the Union shall have competence to carry out actions, in particular to define and implement programmes; however, the exercise of that competence may not result in member states being prevented from exercising theirs".

This is a sensible approach. Where something affects all countries, it is better to search out the best system and adopt it across all the countries rather than have the confusion of a multiplicity of systems.

Not everyone has the time to read all the information, which is why anyone in authority selecting a sentence to present a one-sided case does a major disservice to the public. Whether people agree or disagree in the long run they should be given the full facts. - Bill Morehead, Darlington.

TONY MARTIN

I CANNOT understand how some correspondents can defend Tony Martin (HAS, Echo 6). He shot in the back a 16-year-old lad who was running away after a bungled burglary.

Even in the bad old days of the Wild West, to shoot someone in the back was a dastardly crime.

Of course Martin was subjected to one burglary after another, which must have sorely tried his patience, but lots of people are victims of multiple crimes yet do not resort to violent crime with an illegal weapon.

They do not get thousands of pounds to tell their story or protection at huge public expense.

I feel Mr Martin was leniently treated by the law and I was very pleased to read that the Echo broadly took the same line (July 29). - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

DERRY IRVINE

EVEN out of office, pompous former Lord Chancellor Derry Irvine stretches the boundaries of extravagance.

His job was axed by the Prime Minister in June's reshuffle but the extravagant Lord won't feel the pinch from losing his £202,000 salary. He will get £100,000 a year by cashing in early on his pension.

So while others have to wait until they are 65 to struggle by on £77.45 a week, Lord Irvine will have to make do with £2,000 a week. - DT Murray, Coxhoe, Durham.