08/04/05

This article did not make clear to readers that, if they have opened a card account at the post office for their pension or benefit to go into, they can get their money over the counter free of charge.

I feel disgusted that many pensioners are being scared off. Lloyds TSB, and Co-op card holding customers have always been able to withdraw cash from a post office counter free of charge, and can still do so. Other high street banks are slowly coming onboard with the Post Office Horizon machines.

If all benefit customers had listened to their sub-postmaster/mistress and opened one of these accounts instead of listening to the DSS and going to any high street bank, this problem would not have arisen.

I refused to have an ATM machine that made a charge on my premises as I do not agree that people should have to pay to access their own money.

I hope this clears up any fears that a benefit receiver or pensioner may have had. - Andrea Patchett, Bishop Auckland.

OFF SIDE

IS IT just me or is anyone else sick of the blanket coverage of the Newcastle United midfielders' spat last weekend?

Of course their behaviour was unacceptable, set a disgraceful example, and of course (Bowyer in particular) must warrant some degree of punishment.

However, one can see far worse on the streets of our towns and cities every weekend evening, albeit without the benefit of national television coverage later.

And there's the rub. In football parlance, their actions were "handbags" and, as for the police looking into it, all I can say is that it would be yet another example of a disgraceful misappropriation of public money.

To put things into perspective, it is all a storm in a teacup compared to the appalling action of Eric Cantona some ten years ago when he attempted to drop-kick a paying spectator.

Newcastle United have reacted promptly and appropriately in dealing with the matter and it should now all be "put to bed". - John Milburn (not a United supporter), Chester-le-Street.

HAPPY EASTER

RE Dougie Clay's views on Easter Day (HAS, Apr 5). Easter weekend is a global festival. You can't just move it because of the good old British weather. On a more serious note, he says it would be better for trippers, tourists and businesses.

Just goes to show how we view Christian holidays - just like Christmas, which has been hijacked by big business and has now turned into a very expensive nightmare.

Easter is now about selling ice creams at seaside resorts and bedding plants at B&Q. - GL Smith, Darlington.

NO TO GREECE

I AGREE with the views of Tony Kelly, regarding the Greeks (HAS, Apr 2). Every time I have had a holiday in Greece, the locals have been extremely unfriendly towards me. No doubt because I am English. They were very unhelpful when I dared to ask them a question.

Hundreds of thousands of English people visit Greece and its islands each year for a holiday and plough millions into their economy, but still the Greeks do not even raise a smile to us Brits.

Maybe we should frown upon them and choose different holiday destinations, like I have since I last visited their unfriendly nation. - Christopher Wardell, Darlington.

IT'S RUBBISH

I VISITED my local civic amenity site recently and was told I now need a permit to tip my rubbish because I own a van, which is not allowed onto the site.

I find this hard to understand when we are continually reminded to recycle as much as possible.

Due to a small number of tradesmen tipping their material, 90 per cent of honest people are being treated like criminals. Durham County Council has also installed CCTV to monitor what is being tipped.

Because of this, local authorities will now have to pick up the bill to clean up the fly tipping which has already started.

The cost of this scheme - CCTV, administration and cleaning up fly tipping - must be hundreds of thousands of pounds which local taxpayers will have to pay. - A Clarke, Bishop Auckland.

GROSS INJUSTICE

WORLD trade involves gross injustice, especially to suppliers. Why, for example, can't small farmers, not just here but worldwide, get a fair price for their produce? Why, despite the growing demand for chocolate, do African cocoa farmers live at subsistence levels?

Don't blame the consumers. Blame the economic vulnerability, due to wholesale governmental corruption that is endemic throughout much of the Third World. Because of this, the big international conglomerates are able to exploit much of Africa and Latin America.

Look at the present condition of Zimbabwe. The poor people there are suffering dreadfully but not, you will notice, the international tobacco industry whose main, if not sole, supplier is Zimbabwe. - Tony Kelly, Crook.

HUMAN VALUES

PETER Mullen made a variety of claims including that "religious education in schools now is the teaching of atheism" (Echo, Apr 5). He was using atheism in a pejorative sense with his implication that nothing of value could follow from such an approach.

Rational and clear-thinking readers would appreciate that it's only from an atheist or agnostic standpoint that a clear system of human values can be developed. We need to rid ourselves of the god concept if we are to take on responsibility for ourselves, our species and our world.

Only a confused thinker can fail to grasp that religion gets in the way of our humanity. - Roger McAdam, Durham.

TIDY SUM

CONGRATULATIONS to Gordon Brown for giving pensioners a one-off payment of £200 to help with their council tax.

Redcar and Cleveland Council sent us letters stating that pensioners paying council tax could have their gardens cut and tidied for a sum of £100 a year. Those on housing benefit would pay £50 a year. Previously this was free. So where is the saving? - R Peak and J Borrow, Saltburn-by-the-Sea.

NOTEWORTHY

LAST week, my son James had his 13-year-old friend Matthew from Newark to stay with us for a few days. The boys went shopping in Tesco, Northallerton, and during the transaction at the till Matthew dropped a £20 note from his wallet.

Fortunately, a vigilant and honest customer picked up the note and handed it to a member of staff in the store.

The bank note was booked in as Found Property at the Customer Services Desk. The following day I sent the boys to Tesco on the off chance that it had been handed in and we were all surprised and delighted to find that it had.

Unfortunately, the finder did not leave any personal details at the store, so if he or she is reading this letter, then please accept our sincere thanks for your honesty, it makes such a refreshing change. Likewise, Tesco are to be applauded for their efficiency. - Jonathan Landers, Northallerton.