01/02/06

This political correctness/rights of miscreants has gone way too far. The Court of Appeal judge who said the original sentence was manifestly excessive (so set him free) cannot be a parent, and obviously does not live in modest terraced houses like those surrounding this individual.

There is no place in society for vigilantes, but when the public put their trust in the judiciary they expect to be protected from evil people.

It is high time judges were much more accountable. No wonder police service morale is so low - 99.9 per cent of officers care passionately about protecting our children from such people, only for a 'God-like judge' in his ivory tower to reach an absurd decision.

This is the second disgraceful example in less than a month of how so many of our judges are out of touch with the people. - Robert Bridgett, Shildon.

MODERN LIFE

IF it is reasonable to suggest downloading images of children might lead to certain individuals being a danger to children, might it be reasonable to suggest violence on the TV might lead in some circumstances to an increase in violence in society?

Perhaps the role models and celebrities we happily endorse merely lead to a downward spiral of decent and acceptable behaviour.

Quite possibly allowing pubs to open longer might lead to more drink-related problems, or downgrading drugs lead to more following the path to harder drugs.

Maybe paying people just as much to stay at home will, in turn, lead to a percentage of people not overly fussed about looking for work.

Taking £5bn from pension funds each year might just have an impact on, well, pensions.

Going to war on dodgy advice with a lack of equipment followed by the deliberate attack on local regiments might just affect recruitment to the armed forces.

Should we be surprised when the people say no and the politicians carry on regardless?

Should politicians be worried when people actually pay to vote on Pop Idol and Big Brother, but fail to vote in elections? - Jim Tague, Bishop Auckland Conservatives.

LEISURE WILDERNESS

I CELEBRATED my 60th birthday by visiting the Kascada Bowling in Durham with family and friends, 16 in total, aged from three to 64, who all had a great time.

A week later my two granddaughters, aged 11, took their first real steps to independence with a day out at Durham. Their day out included a game at the Kascada, plus Pizza Hut and shopping. My other granddaughter, aged 13, paid a similar visit with her friends.

Later that day, at about 4.30pm, we passed the Kascada and it was buzzing with young people. Yet we're losing this valuable community facility to yet more apartments and another bar!

So where will we all go in the future? Bowling - Gateshead MetroCentre or Sunderland. Ice rink - Whitley Bay or Billingham. Cinema - The one-screen Gala Cinema, Gateshead MetroCentre, Teesside or Boldon. The planned multi-screen cinema for Durham was removed from the plans and replaced by... an hotel

Gala Theatre - the latest programme doesn't include anything I haven't seen before or anything for the young people.

Swimming pool - it seems we're getting a new traditional swimming pool but we prefer a leisure pool so we'll probably continue to go to Spennymoor or, for a special treat, York's Waterworld. Why can't we have a similar one here?

How do members of the community without their own transport access these? We're living in a leisure wilderness.

I realise that the councils might not be able to provide us with these facilities but isn't partnership working with the private sector supposed to be the way forward?

I've been involved in some very successful campaigns recently. Please help us to set up a petition to show that these leisure facilities are desperately needed here. - Barbara Hepplewhite, Coxhoe.

TIMES CHANGE

HAVING read today (HAS, Jan 25) the two letters under the heading Tearaway Child, I thought the following article might be of interest.

It is taken from an issue of the West Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail dated March 1, 1943, under the headline: Mother told to spank boys.

"When two brothers, aged ten and 13, were before the East London Juvenile Court today for failing to attend school, Mr Basil Henriques, the chairman, asked the mother: "Do you spank them?" The mother: "Well I smack them."

Mr Henriques: "There is a difference between smacking and spanking. Take their trousers down in cold blood and spank them. That will do them good."

The mother: "Righto"

The case was adjourned.

How times change. - W Fletcher, Sedgefield.

REPORTING RED CARD

I AM writing in support of the letter (Echo, Jan 23) that commented on the reporting of the Darlington v Grimsby match.

As an ardent supporter of Darlington FC, I was also irritated by the paper's report for this game.

It described the Darlington performance as being both below par and lacklustre. In truth, while it was hardly a game of flowing football, Darlington battled determinedly throughout and thoroughly deserved the point. Below par and lacklustre are certainly not words to describe the manner in which the team played.

While I accept that it is the responsibility of a journalist to provide a balanced report, I would suggest that the newspaper should be striving to support the football club whenever it can.

Unnecessary negative reports give a false impression of events at the stadium and do not help when the club is striving to encourage more fans to attend matches.

Incidentally, the match report also suggested that the team would 'only get away with it for so long' and that Oxford would not be so forgiving. Oxford didn't get a look in. - Steve Earle, Darlington.

SIR IAN BLAIR

I THINK Sir Ian Blair, the head of the Metropolitan Police, should with immediate effect be sacked from his position and stripped of his knighthood.

His disgraceful remark relating to the media importance of the Soham murders was a grave error of judgement.

Many horrendous murders that have been carried out on all races in the UK have been highlighted by the press. However, his cheap shot at white victims made it clear that his biased remark was a pander to the ethnic population of London.

Why would he make the remark? Did he do it to distract the general public and press's gaze away from the ongoing investigation into his force's murder of an innocent Brazilian on the London Underground? - M Anderson, Middleton St George.