19/04/05

And whatever pensioners get, the same percentage would be given to MPs. The election gives us an opportunity to ask candidates where they stand on this issue. Any candidate who declines can be told to forget about our vote.

While any who agree with it and, if elected, agree to work towards getting the idea established can look forward to our support.

If plenty of people stand together we may be able to get men and women into Parliament who are of the people, for the people.

How many pensioners live on what it costs the Government to keep one convicted criminal in jail? How many pensioners live on what it costs the Government to keep one immigrant? - B Patterson, Northallerton.

MUCH has been written about pensions, particularly the pensions of the ordinary working man who has little else to live on. Many of them are obliged to swallow their pride and seek state hand-outs.

This is morally wrong at a time when MPs virtually have carte blanche with regard to their expense claims. If this Labour Government gave all senior citizens a decent pension they would not need to go cap-in-hand to the authorities for help.

Most of these people have contributed in tax and National Insurance for 60-70 years and some have fought for this country in at least one world war. Give them what they have earned and what is their due; enough money to live "worry free" for the years they have left. - Joan McTigue, Independent, Middlesbrough Council.

OFF SIDE

WITH reference to the letter from H Stamp about European football managers (HAS, Apr 14), I would be interested to know why Sir Matt would be concerned about who was manager of Liverpool.

Possibly Bill Shankly may have had something to say. - Trevor Munro, Darlington.

TAXING TIMES

I WRITE in response to your article, "Mother-of-five is left begging for food" (Echo, Apr 8), to explain the position of my union members who work in the tax office in Bishop Auckland.

My members were faced with a number of tax credits claimants whose payments had been suspended, and a computer system which was not able to send out duplicate notices required for two days, because of an upgrade in the software.

People had been asked to return their notices within a specified period. Some who had their payments suspended had actually been given longer to send back a signed notice. While the upgrade meant that duplicate award notices could not be provided straight away, in at least some of these cases part of the responsibility must lie with the claimants.

Staff were told not to make emergency payments where the claim was affected by "suspended payment" because of an unsigned award.

This instruction put our staff in a very difficult position and some customers were verbally abusive towards them. Staff were trying to do their jobs knowing that they had their hands tied behind their backs.

Over the two years that the credits system has been operating we have given invaluable help to hundreds of customers requiring help and emergency payments. It would be a shame if that goodwill is lost.

The Inland Revenue is merging with Customs and Excise to form a new department, which could mean the closure of local tax offices and the withdrawal of the face-to-face service in Bishop Auckland. The PCS union has launched a campaign to retain this service. - C Coldbeck, National and Group Executive Committee member, Billingham.

LANDMARK PLEA

IT HAS already been disclosed that the owners of The White Horse Hotel in Darlington plan to sell their property to developers. Now the owners of the Cock O' The North at Durham plan to do the same (Echo, Apr 14).

Although the Cock O' The North hasn't got the same character as The White Horse, it is still a building of distinction, which I always recognise every time I travel from Darlington to Durham by the A167.

This pub is a landmark, as whenever I see it I know it's time to take the turn-off to Durham.

Surely this landmark is not going to be demolished to make way for a housing development, which no-one will recognise as the turn-off for Durham.

Please do the same as I suggested in my previous letter and sell it to another landlord or pub chain.

This famous landmark must not be lost for ever. - M A Greenhalgh, Darlington.

MOTOR YOBS

I FEEL I must take issue with Ian White over his rather silly letter (HAS, Apr 14).

Our street is used as a disc parking zone, bad enough as it encourages traffic into the street with all the attendant pollution.

When two chip shops are added to the equation, with drivers eating in their cars while running their engines to keep heaters on, often also with sound systems blasting less than two metres from our living rooms, I can appreciate the point of the fines policy.

In Starbeck there is a level crossing. At any time there may be more than 100 vehicles waiting for the trains to pass. A polite notice requests drivers to switch off their engines. I have never actually seen anyone do this.

Again the pollution pours directly into shops and dwellings. Yob culture? Motorised yob culture more like. - D Lonsdale, Ripon.

TOWN CENTRE

I AM writing with regard to the recent correspondence to HAS from Darlington residents covering several aspects of what is about to happen to Darlington town centre, including the lack of an appropriate building in which local artists and Darlington Art Society can display their work and the prison-like structure on the playing fields on Abbey Road.

This clearly indicates that the planning structure of Darlington Council lacks an appreciation of the aesthetic values that are required to maintain the prosperity of a town such as Darlington, with its long history of commerce and industry.

I venture to suggest that the council replicates central government, where power is in the hands and minds of a few and decision taking is done without consultation - and I emphasise consultation, particularly with regard to the proposed town centre change. - Tom H Peacock, Darlington.

WOOF JUSTICE?

NICKY Graham, an American friend, has a three-year old dog called Abby.

Abby Graham has just been offered a platinum credit card by post. Her identical human age would be 21, making her of age to take out credit and be responsible for it.

If she were to accept $500,000 and lavish it on her best friend Nicky without the means to repay the debt, who would blame her? - George Appleby, York.