OLYMPICS BID: BRITAIN is ridiculously over-centralised and like many people, I get fed up of most of the available goodies going to London, leaving the rest of the population to help pay the bills.

For example, there was the Millennium Dome fiasco. Then there is the ongoing new Wembley Stadium project. Why exactly are we supposed to need this? Is it not the best thing to happen in years that England matches are staged at football grounds all over the country?

Now there is the news that the Government wants to bid for the Olympics... in London, wouldn't you know it. Anyway; those who ever tune to Teletext on TV might know that there is a viewers' phone poll every day in which people are invited to vote on a Burning Issue.

Last week opinions were sought on the Olympics plan. In a derisory poll of not many more than 1,000 votes, 90 per cent were against it. According to my calculations, those in favour numbered some 103.

I would not like Milburn, Blair and Co to ignore this massive indication of 'no thanks'. After all, aren't they Men of the People? If they act now, they might save us a few million. - Geoff Taylor, Darlington.

THE NORTHERN ECHO

CONGRATULATIONS are in order for The Northern Echo which was named as North-East Newspaper of the Year. My personal good wishes go to my old friend and walking partner of many years, Mike Amos.

I have taken The Northern Echo since 1955, a total of 48 years. The contents have always been first class, with national and local news. The sports section with full details of all the local cricket results matches any national newspaper.

Long may The Northern Echo continue to supply its readers with this first-class service. - Councillor Stephen Smailes, Conservative Group Leader, Stockton Borough Council.

PASSIVE SMOKING

SHOULD we now applaud the tobacco companies who have funded an investigation into passive smoking and found that dying from it is not as bad as previously thought.

There are only about 1,000 deaths per year in this country from passive smoking and very little publicity is shown unless it is a non-smoker who dies from breathing others' smoke like Roy Castle.

The scientists and experts who have reached this conclusion must be proud even though their work might mean more deaths. Are these people the same ilk as those who discovered that the ears of frogs are in their back legs?

It took a considerable amount of time to train a frog to jump at the sound of a whistle blown at a certain pitch. However, after they had cut the frogs legs off, it was discovered that the frog did not move when the whistle was blown, thus proving that its ears were in its discarded back legs! - E Reynolds, Wheatley Hill.

EUROPE

CHRIS Patten, the EU Commissioner, is begging the Prime Minister to stop prevaricating and get us signed up for the euro.

Gordon Brown is considering his five principles, before taking us in. What colossal arrogance these politicians have. They forget that we were promised a referendum on the euro.

Tony Blair knows he would lose if he had a referendum now.

Mr Patten is a total nonentity. He destroyed the best police force in the world, that of Northern Ireland, and as a Tory, he lost his seat in Tory Bath. Only Tunbridge Wells is more Tory than Bath.

These people are determined to sell our country, our nationhood, our laws, our Parliament.

They are handing us over to a bunch of spivs in Europe. It is a tragedy. - J Ross, Rowlands Gill.

TONY MARTIN

This country once had the name for justice, but I think in the case of farmer Tony Martin justice is lacking.

Granted he shot and killed a burglar, but he should not have been there in the first place.

The reason given against his earlier release was that he might offend again. Drunken drivers who kill are allowed out of prison in a short time. I think they are the types who are likely to re-offend. It is time Mr Martin had some justice. - H Allinson, Darlington.

TONY Martin's defenders are not interested in justice or crime prevention, but in violent retribution. Their argument is simple: the burglar got what he deserved. Well no, actually he didn't - the death sentence is not appropriate for burglary, and the householder cannot act as judge, jury and executioner.

Guns are licensed in this country for hunting or sporting use, and licence holders should not imagine they have been granted a privilege denied to the rest of us - the right to use firearms in defence of their property. If they do, they will be required to justify their actions in court. In some cases they will be exonerated; in Tony Martin's case, the court found that he had used excessive and unnecessary force. It is not I, but Tony Kelly (HAS, May 20) who is obscuring the issue, as well as misrepresenting the facts.

Burglary is a despicable crime, but it cannot be combated by relaxing the laws which control the use of firearms. This would only lead to an increase in violent crime and murder. - Pete Winstanley, Durham.