LEUKAEMIA UNIT: I AM annoyed and disappointed that the County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust wants to move a six-bed in-patient unit for leukaemia patients from Darlington to Bishop Auckland (Echo, Feb 2).

A Trust spokesman says that its priority must be to ensure the best quality of care for patients in the South Durham and Darlington area.

As someone who has had experience in that unit, and as an outpatient in the Haematology Ward 42, I can assure the Trust that the quality of care in both cases was of the very highest.

To transfer the unit is a real kick in the teeth for the many people who worked hard and contributed to getting the unit established.

I am sure that the Bishop Auckland unit is equally excellent, but surely, in a town the size of Darlington, there is real need for this facility. Is the real reason for the proposed move money? If so, surely there are less vital areas in which savings can be made.

Darlington is a main North-East town with a Third Division football team which good people have been trying to remedy.

By taking away such excellent and vital facilities as the six-bed unit, don't let us gradually relegate a good hospital to third division status. - JJ Stephens, Darlington.

I WAS horrified to learn that Darlington is likely to lose the leukaemia unit at the Memorial Hospital (Echo, Feb 2).

What an insult to the people of the Darlington area who gave so generously of their time so that we could have this function in our midst instead of patients having to travel to Newcastle for treatment.

How dare people make these decisions when the unit would not exist without the fundraising and tireless help from volunteers who still run a fundraising committee to this day.

Don't decision makers realise that when people are approached in the future to help with a worthwhile project for the Memorial Hospital, they might well say: "I don't think so... look what happened to the leukaemia unit we worked so hard to get." - Allene Norris, Darlington.

Stanley

DURHAM North MP Kevan Jones is expressing the views of many in Stanley when he speaks of the slow progress of the regeneration (Echo, Feb 1).

Last March, the council said work would start on the bus station in June 2004, but it has still not started.

The new swimming baths were completed very late. The landscaping work is still not done because it was not even budgeted for.

There are many other examples I could give, but I think you get the feeling of Stanley residents. - Tom Pattinson, Stanley.

FOOTBALLERS

THE CRAIG Bellamy saga at Newcastle United follows hot on the heels of Kieron Dyer's similar predicament earlier this season.

Both the diminutive Welshman and bit part England international threw toys from the pram when asked to play "out of position".

Can I remind them their job description is "soccer player".

At wages of £40,000-plus a week, is it asking too much to ask them to perform anywhere manager Graeme Souness asks them to, for 90 minutes?

As their employers, United should have shown them both the door. Instead one is loaned to another club, and the other stays - both therefore on the payroll.

True black and white heroes like Jackie Milburn and Joe Harvey must be turning in their graves. - Joe Wellthorpe, North Ormesby.

CHURCHES

I AGREE with AG Harris (HAS, Feb 1). I do not wear a hearing aid but, at several funerals I have attended in the local church, I have hardly heard a word. This despite the presence of microphones.

A pity preachers are not taught the use of microphones and how to project their voices beyond the front row. - J Rutter, Richmond.

WARS

I FOUND Glen Reynolds' Saturday Sermon (Echo, Jan 29) offensive as he seeks to blame us for the wars on this planet.

Does he suggest that the real tyrants and despots of the world are let off the hook and allowed to continue their tyranny unchallenged?

He also blames nationalists: does he not realise that before there were nation states there were only tribal areas, which were continually racked by tribal warfare.

If this is Quakerism it solves nothing and smacks too much of Communism, and eight million Ukranians were starved to death in the 1930s by Communist rule. - Simon Parry, Redcar.

COLLINGWOOD

IN 2005, the English will be rejoicing in Nelson's victory over Napoleon at Trafalgar. Don't forget that the battle was won by Nelson and Collingwood.

They discussed the strategy together and used the pre-arranged plan and, of course, Collingwood supervised the whole battle after Nelson was shot.

Collingwood is our local hero and yet few even mention him. At Durham we have a college named after him and I hope there is still a memorial at South Shields.

Nelson deserves his fame and adulation but let's remind the world of Admiral Collingwood. - Jean E Middlemass, Belmont, Durham.

Barnard Castle

I HAVE lived in Barnard Castle for 48 years, since I was 13.

Last Wednesday, at 7.15pm, I was being served in Partners shop when I was confronted by what can only be described as an escaped member of the ape family.

It was a body about five feet eight inches tall, dressed in black with a hooded top. It leant across in front of me and attempted to be served. I politely asked it to wait its turn, to which it replied in some strange jungle-like sounds, which appeared to contain plenty of expletives.

It ended jumping up and down and moving backwards and forwards like some untamed cage animal.

I wondered whether I should report this to the zoo, but on realising that the form was in fact human aged between 14-15-years, and knew no better, I reported the matter to the police just in case it happens again and the residents of Barney are taken unawares. - Name and address supplied.

AUSCHWITZ

MAY we thank all the dignitaries and members of the public for their presence on the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz that was held in Middlesbrough.

A very special thank you to David Simon and Martin Finn for their contributions.

We were overwhelmed that so many people came to remember the horror of the holocaust and what it entailed in the human misery.

May we also thank the Cleveland Police, Dorman Museum staff, the cafe and the Inn off the Park for the wonderful refreshments. And the media for covering this event and for being so compassionate when dealing with the families of the victims. - Liz Chambers and Margaret Thompson, Middlesbrough Military Celebratory Association.