23/11/04

However, it would be much more sensible if all pensions were paid the same high rate as the over-80s. The cost would be infinitesimal compared to the billions squandered on the unlawful and bestial war for oil now going on in Iraq.

All pensioners are now paid by the old Post Office pension book or the new pin number card system. The pension book users will receive their Christmas bonus payment well before Christmas Day, thus allowing them to have the time and money to finalise their festive shopping. Good luck to them.

The pin number card users, however, the majority, will not receive their bonus money until Christmas Eve.

Worse still, the Post Office workers, who would normally finish their shift at noon on December 24, will now have to work until 4.30pm. This will give them little time to complete their festive arrangements.

This little anomaly seems to have missed the sharp eyes of our numerous councillors and MPs. I bet if it had been their own expense allowances which had been put back until Christmas Eve they would have had plenty to say about it. - James Fitzpatrick, Gateshead.

CHILDREN

I ALWAYS understood that socialism was about caring for the most vulnerable and weakest in society and a society would be judged on this.

Mr Blair has certainly failed in respect of vulnerable children.

The CSA is a complete failure, leaving many families near destitute.

Only one in 50 sexual assaults on children result in convictions. The police have publicly stated on several occasions that they have insufficient funds to pursue prosecutions in Operation Ore, a clamping down on paedophilia on the Internet.

Our Home Secretary, Mr Blunkett, plans to reduce cash payments of compensation to children subjected to two or more serious sexual assaults to the same level as someone receiving a broken wrist.

Mr Blair, you should be ashamed. - J Moffatt, Chilton.

WAYNE ROONEY

AS I watched the England v Spain match on television, I was shocked at the way Wayne Rooney reacted as he was substituted as he threw the black armband to the ground.

The England team wore the black armband in memory of Emlyn Hughes and Keith Weller.

Rooney showed the lack of respect to Hughes and Weller, and also to both families. He is a total disgrace to the football game. He should be heavily fined and banned for so many games in the England side.

But some managers will defend Rooney and say he is only 19; he will learn. If he can't learn at 19, he can't learn when he is older.

What you put it down to is being big headed and arrogant, and having no brains but plenty of money.

Rooney is not fit to put on an England shirt.

Managers put these players on a pedestal but they have not got the guts to knock them off. - DT Murray, Coxhoe.

IRAQ

WHILE it is proper to investigate to find out if a US soldier did kill a wounded Iraqi, it is only a red herring to divert attention from the real horror of this war - the massacre of many innocent men, women and children in Fallujah and elsewhere.

The same criminal acts are about to be visited on other Iraqi towns and cities.

The rest of the world looks on and does nothing.

Britain and the US have emasculated the UN and it seems it is powerless to intervene.

I have never detested two men as much as I detest Blair and Bush, who are responsible for more deaths than any so-called terrorists.

This disastrous crusade in Iraq by two sanctimonious so-called Christians can only be concluded by the withdrawal of all foreign soldiers from Iraq. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

NACRO

YOUR article on Nacro's education and employment centre in Darlington (Echo, Nov 18) was a really positive piece reflecting the vital work Nacro is doing in the region to help disaffected young people get into work.

The only thing that let it down was the misleading headline, labelling all young people we work with as offenders.

Our project in Darlington works with a range of young people aged 16-24 - some of them are missing from the education system, others are not engaged in any kind of training or employment.

The aim of the project is to engage with these young people to give them the opportunity to work towards a vocational qualification or take part in work experience to prevent the risk of them falling into offending.

Without Nacro's intervention, the risk of these young people drifting into a life of crime would be high, but we're glad to say our young people are on track for success and the small minority who have been involved in crime in the past are turning their lives around to face a positive future. - Shirley Courtney-Sinclair, Darlington Centre Manager, Nacro.

HUNTING

SO the pro-hunting lobby now intends to follow a path of civil disobedience rather than obey a law passed by a democratically-elected parliament; the intention to ban hunting being a major part of this Government's election manifesto. That way we could all decide to disobey the law.

Initially, to flout this law will probably result in a fine, which doubtless most huntsmen can afford to pay, given the fact that they can afford to keep a horse.

The ultimate sanction, however, will be prison. I sincerely hope that those imprisoned will find the experience equally as nauseating and horrific as the vast majority of our civilised society find the prospect of an animal being ripped to shreds for pleasure nauseating and horrific. - John Milburn, Chester-le-Street.

FESTIVALS

THERE has been a lot of interest in the Hindu Festival of Light which was celebrated at the Crown Street library, Darlington. I read that it is also considering celebrating the Chinese New Year.

Perhaps the town could consider commemorating the struggle against the abomination of slavery. This year is the 200th anniversary of the founding of Haiti, the first Black republic and the UN has proclaimed this year as Year for Commemoration of the Struggle Against Slavery.

Some townsfolk are descendants of that struggle. We would all do well to remember that much of the wealth of this country was built on their suffering. - Margaret Bond, Darlington.