06/06/05

Whilst Ferry and Co have a healthy disregard for the legislation enacted by the Labour Government, I doubt that they wish to see the end of all forms of social hierarchy and the development of a libertarian and egalitarian society in its place - some of them have links to the Royal Family, for goodness sake.

Anarchists, in general, do not support the needless torture of animals in the name of sport or culture: I imagine that most are opposed to fox-hunting.

I do not know whether this was a mistake or a deliberate attempt to smear anarchism by associating it with violence and disorder, but I would appreciate it if columnists and correspondents chose their words with care. Remember, anarchists have no desire to enter Parliament. - James Doran, Darlington.

EU CONSTITUTION

BY rejecting the EU constitution, the people of France have acted decisively and, at the same time, provided Britain with much food for thought (Echo, May 30).

Our Government has been given time and valuable room to manoeuvre before putting its case to the people.

Important changes to the constitution will have to be made before the wider electorate is satisfied.

I have yet to see a clear explanation of what the benefits will be to our country were it to accept the constitution and therefore a referendum in Britain is unlikely for some time yet.

If the Government is to achieve a Yes vote, I believe it will have to wait for more favourable conditions. - LD Wilson, Guisborough.

RAISING THE PROFILE

IN response to Mike Gleeson's letter (HAS, June 4) expressing concerns about the North-East England adverts. These have been designed as part of a general awareness-raising campaign, targeting people who know little about this region.

The northeastengland web address is clearly stated on all of the adverts and provides further information about each of the people and places featured, including, in the case of the Grey Street/Terry Laybourne advert, clear reference to the fact that Grey Street is in Newcastle.

We do take Mr Gleeson's specific comment about the lack of reference to Newcastle on board and will make a slight amendment to that advert, identifying the city location of Grey Street.

In a hugely competitive environment, it is crucial that we shout as loud as we can to be heard above everyone else. The advertising campaign has to provide some clear, simple messages and, over time, build up a positive image of North-East England. It will be supported by a concerted national PR drive.

This is the 'umbrella' campaign to raise awareness of the region and is backed up by a wide range of tactical activity, including tourism and investment marketing that does incorporate clear calls to action.

Through research we found that 76 per cent of people nationally know very little or nothing at all about North-East England.

Therefore, it is crucial that we raise the profile of this region and what is has to offer to the rest of the UK and the world. So far, the campaign has generated real enthusiasm from people and organisations across the region and numerous businesses are already approaching One NorthEast with ideas of ways in which they can play a role and add to the value of the activity that we have planned ourselves. - Chris Lines, Head of Public Relations, One NorthEast.

SUPPORT OUR PORT

THE case for the development of Teesport into a container terminal seems such a good idea for the North-East that I wonder at the apparent hesitation in implementing this.

When I think about money spent on various firms who move to this area then disappear as soon as cheap rents and rates run out, this dock development looks like a sure thing. Government help wanted, please. - F Atkinson, Shincliffe.

SAD VILLAGE

ABOUT 20 years ago I spent a week's holiday in the village of Middleton-in-Teesdale.

It was a beautiful little spot with six thriving pubs and wonderful services for tourists. On retiring and returning to the North-East, I recently visited the village and was dismayed at how run down the place has become.

Five of the six pubs have closed. Several businesses have been forced into bankruptcy and there is an air of mediocrity about the area. - Name and address supplied.

TRAVELLERS

SURELY it should not surprise people that Darlington Borough Council refuses to use tough new legislation to rid the town of illegal traveller camps.

Why should they trouble this set of non-tax paying perennial spongers while they can continue their persecution of the town's taxi drivers unabated?

Indeed, as the town's cabbies are forced to undergo a PSA test funded out of their own pockets, I wonder how many of our Romany friends actually have legal driving licences to start with? - Gavin Ellis, Darlington.

ID CARDS

ACTING with indecent haste, we see the Prime Minister bringing the ID Bill straight back to the Commons and his puppets claiming that it was one of New Labour's manifesto pledges.

I believe reforming the House of Lords was in the last two New Labour manifestos but nothing, or very little, has been done to bring about reforms to make it a place of democratic legislation.

It makes one wonder if Tony Blair sees it as a place of refuge when, as he has stated, he hands over the leadership of the party.

I expect he will look for a hereditary peerage as reward for continuing with right wing privatisation policies while, at the same time, implementing the New Labour policy of taxing everything he can get away with. - Peter Dolan, Newton Aycliffe.

PASSIVE SMOKING

FUTURE generations will wonder why so much money and police time was used to track down and imprison the drug addicts who use heroin, etc as very few human lives are lost by those type of drugs.

Yet addicts who use nicotine were ignored and they killed thousands of other people. Many parents killed their children through passive smoking.

So why did the Government not follow the path taken by so many other countries? Scotland and Ireland ban smoking in public places and so save the lives of workers and members of the public.

Was the real reason the fact that tax collected from cigarettes is so enormous that the Government ignored those facts? - E Reynolds, Wheatley Hill.

REUNION PLEA

I AM appealing for serving or ex-serving crew members of HM destroyers to join the 8th Destroyer Association.

As can be seen from the title, membership was originally limited to those who served in the 8th DS in the Far East. Membership has now been opened to include destroyer men from all C class destroyers.

A reunion is held each September in Scarborough. There is ample and exceptionally good value accommodation close to the Ocean Room where the reunion is held. There is also an active ladies' section.

Details and membership forms are available from me. - Sid Hindle, 1 Parkland Avenue, Morley, Leeds LS27 0LB. (0113) 2535269 or email sidhindle@tiscali.co.uk