CHARLES AND CAMILLA: The announcement that Charles and Camilla are to marry has opened up a real can of worms.

I have never hidden my contempt for Charles and Camilla who, between them, conspired to destroy the life of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Her own indiscretions were a result of the scandalous way she was treated by her husband and Camilla.

I would go as far as to say that Charles and Camilla were indirectly responsible for Diana's death.

As we commoners so succinctly put it, Camilla has been Charles' "fancy woman" for a long time - before, during and after his marriage to Diana.

If he was any kind of man he would renounce his right to the throne, marry Camilla and disappear into the sunset.

Now that's what I call a happy ending. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

DURHAM Tees Valley AIRPORT

The proposed new business park planned for the Durham and Tees Valley Airport Development (Teesside Airport) is a total non-starter. The site chosen for this business park is currently a greenfield site offering a valuable refuge for wildlife and helping to reduce the visual impact and noise levels generated by current operations on local residents.

The proposals could mean the construction of 11 three-storey office blocks on this land. Add this to the human side of this development: people's houses being overlooked, increased security worries, higher noise levels and light pollution, devaluation of properties and increased road traffic and litter, and the real winners and losers appear clear. The winners, Peel Airports based in Manchester, who have land to develop cheaply, and the losers, local council tax payers who have a business park open 24-hours a day as a new neighbour.

If the development is so important, why on a greenfield site when the southside of the airport offers some 250-acres of derelict brownfield land, including the remains of buildings from the airport's past life as a bomber station during the Second World War?

Also proposed is the construction of a new hotel and pub/restaurant. At present the existing hotels on the airport are rarely full and the new pub will be less than 100 yards from The Oak Tree pub and restaurant.

This development is half-baked. With so much empty office space in and around Darlington, why do we need more?

I would hope that the council rejects this silly proposal and I would encourage local people to contact Darlington Borough Council planning department to log objections. If this proposal happens the genie will be out of the bottle and our heritage and countryside will concreted over. - Martin Swainston, Middleton-St-George.

The proposed development of the airport is on a greenfield site outside the local planning envelope and comprises more than 186,000 sq metres of offices, a hotel, restaurant and pub. These three-story, 15-metre high offices are extremely near existing private houses.

There are many brownfield sites around the airport, admittedly not owned by Peel Airports, but the proposed development land was not owned by them either. A lot of the buildings on these sites are in poor condition and, if upgraded, would improve the area considerably.

Of specific interest, however, is the site where Topspin Tennis club used to stand, which now has only a skeletal structure on it. A leisure club/hotel was due to be built there but the owners seemed to run into difficulties and it has now stood abandoned for many years. The site seems to be of similar size to the proposed one, is right next to the railway station and is of similar distance to the airport terminal. The access road is generally good and would not need much improving.

Perhaps the airport is trying to take the easy cheap option instead of what is best for the area.

If this development goes ahead it opens the way for any building application on greenfield sites around the village of Middleton St George. The airport has already stated that they want further applications on greenfield land in their 2010/2015 plan.

Finally, the airport has had a long time to prepare its case, we have only been given three weeks to the planning deadline. Doesn't seem quite fair. - Graham Bell, Middleton-St-George.

ELECTIONS

What an excellent Cluff cartoon (Echo, Jan 31) commenting on many people's lack of interest in voting in an election. We have certainly had a good example set to us by the people of Iraq, who have faced so many dangers in order to seize their first steps towards a democratic government.

When our own General Election comes it behoves every one of us to think long and seriously about the privilege of our right to freely vote for whichever candidate we support.

We have the right and freedom to vote without fear of being bombed or murdered for doing so. May we truly treasure this freedom, make the effort to use our votes and elect a government that really speaks for the people of Britain, rather than merely putting our cross out of habit or some stale feeling of obligation. - EA Moralee, Billingham.

BURGLARS' CHARTER

Recent attempts by the Home Secretary and senior police officers to clarify the legal position regarding a householder's right to defend themselves from burglars should be welcomed with caution.

The reasonable man and reasonable force tests are very different depending on the circumstances, which can vary considerably. Some members of our community, myself included, may conclude that, once a burglar enters a property with intent to steal or offer violence, then all their rights should cease to exist in law.

If, by chance, the burglar comes across some lunatic waiting for the chance to offer "street justice" so be it - "live by the sword, die by the sword". Not a particularly Christian view, many could rightly concur, but how many of these wrong-doers are Christians? - Robert Bridgett, Shildon.

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

Re 'No answer to society's ills' (Echo, Feb 8) while suggesting that people want to hear populist speeches and simplistic assertions, the correspondent fails to offer any answers.

The majority of people in this country do not want populist speeches, they want justice and the right to live in a society without the fear of intimidation.

The comment suggests that the Tories are vague on the cost of building more prisons, yet what are the alternatives? The huge increase of drug rehabilitation units will not be cheap.

Society today feeds on failure and it is the less well off who pay the price.

We have an establishment that rides a gravy train and has no intention of changing.

The Echo and others can make as many excuses and sermons as they like but until we change the culture of our politicians, the rest of us might as well pray the Almighty will have mercy on us. - John Young, Crook.