RELIGION: Paedophile priests; Magdalene laundries; creationism; Christian, Muslim and Jewish fundamentalists preaching hatred and intolerance; the theologically-uneducated preaching from soap boxes - or the middle of a grand prix race track.

So why are religious leaders and real followers bewildered as to why so many people are becoming atheists - or joining other faiths? - CT Riley, Spennymoor.

LOTTERY

AN asset very much ignored by those in authority but well used by the working man is Seaton Carew beach. But oh!, what a state it is in.

Litter, litter, and more litter - but do not blame the people who use it because there are no bins in sight. Yes, not one.

But, with almost obscene haste, the people's representatives on the Lottery panel decided to donate our money, a mere £11m, to the Duke of Northumberland for one of his paintings. God bless, him, he needs the money.

The painting is to hang, you've guessed it, in a London gallery where we can all pop down to any free Sunday afternoon instead of going to the beach.

Would this vast amount of money, partly provided by the people in the North-East, not be put to better use such as a cleaner beach, or any other equal or more worthy project that the ordinary working man wants? How many more millions are to be poured into London: The Dome, The Opera House, the Tate gallery, New Wembley stadium? - GW Blenkinsopp, Bishop Auckland.

EUROPE

OH that national and international economics were as simple as some people make out. Revenue raised in Greater London is greater than that raised in many other regions. If all the revenue raised in Greater London was spent on public services in that region there would be a huge imbalance of provision across the country.

However, the principle of equality of sacrifice is the long accepted way of dealing with revenue in the UK. This ensures that there are no glaring differences between regions.

The same principle applies in all the countries in the European Union.

The aim in the UK is enable regions to reach the level of prosperity of the best. The aim of the EU is to enable each country to reach the best level of prosperity.

That the UK is a net contributor to the EU should be looked on as an investment as countries that are less well off often spend part of their grants on capital goods and services from countries such as the UK.

Just as importantly, we have played our part in the co-operative cohesion in the EU to ensure peace and the avoidance of nationalistic conflict. - Bill Morehead, Darlington.

TUNSTALL VALLEY

TUNSTALL Valley near Wolsingham is, in my view, the most beautiful place in the entire country. So you would expect landowners to treat it with respect. Sadly you'd be wrong.

Northumbrian Water, which owns Tunstall Reservoir at the valley head, has just laid a mile-long pipe and, in the process, has bulldozed wild flowers, shrubs and ancient pasture to a width of ten metres on either side. What a criminal piece of vandalism in this lovely setting. - T Kelly, Crook.

SOUTH PARK

AS a resident of Darlington's Park East Ward, I am dismayed by the council's decision to approve the building of a pavilion and football pitches in South Park. It will be to the detriment of all lovers of the park.

I do not like the look of the collusion between the council and Cleveland Bridge. The company will pay for the re-development of the sports pitches and, in return, is allowed to build houses on sports fields.

I cannot believe the remark from the council's development and environment director John Buxton, when he said the Royal Mail may have lost the letters sent out to residents.

Residents have the answer in their own hands at the next elections. - F Wealands, South Terrace.

THATCHER/BLAIR

I THINK I can understand T Kelly's dislike of Margaret Thatcher (HAS, July 28). After all, she is the person that our present Labour Prime Minister said he admired greatly for what she had achieved and hoped he could do the same.

Well, so far he has. She cost jobs in the North-East; so has Tony Blair. She was in power when Nissan came to this area; Tony has given them money. She was in power when Hartlepool started its wonderful facelift; Tony gave them Peter and the Boy from Brazil.

She was in power during the Falklands War; Tony, well he hopes we can find WMD as he said history will remember him going to war. - Peter Brown, Trimdon Village.

BLAIR/ATTLEE

I AM grateful to Harry Mead for pointing out that Tony Blair's Government has now become the longest-serving Labour administration (Echo, July 30).

As well as being responsible for introducing the minimum wage, three-figure winter fuel payments to pensioners, and an improved NHS, I believe the present Government has achieved something greater still: compensation payments to former coal miners suffering from lung disease.

Total compensation for this will amount to hundreds of millions of pounds, but the Government has acknowledged a debt to these workers.

Payments admittedly have been agonisingly slow, but I do not recall the Conservatives doing anything about it. - LD Wilson, Guisborough.