THE Government is planning to reduce our 18 Coastguard stations to three full-time manned ones (Echo, Dec 17).

The RAF Air Sea Rescue Sea King helicopters may be withdrawn and the emergency service put out to tender, possibly to a foreign company.

This is an outrage to our Coastguards and the RAF Air Sea Rescue.

The Tories of today are the same Tories of 1979 who sold off the family silver, closed coal mines, steelworks and put an end to all our great industries.

The Oxford English dictionary interpretation of a Tory is “Irish outlaw” or, to put it bluntly, a thief. That says it all.

Steve Shields, Saltburn.

OUR present sea and rescue services may be taken over by a foreign consortium and the Coastguard control centres are going to be cut. The RAF Helicopter Rescue Service may be taken over by a private civilian company.

My wife has just said to me: “We all should be taken over!”

My reply: “Would life be made easier?”

Roland Bramham, Richmond.