HUNTING: THE hunting protestors who burst into the House of Commons may not have done their cause any favours but they sure enlightened the rest of us to the laughable lack of security that protects the paltry few of our esteemed MPs who actually turn up for debates.

A suicide bomber would have been sorely put out to see the numbers present.

Miners might not have been taken out and shot when the pits were closed but they got a hell of a golden handshake and a good pension to look forward to, as well as free coal or heating allowance and the opportunity to make a claim for every imaginable industrial disease going. Workers from other industries do poorly in comparison.

One writer suggests that the only difference between foxhunting and drag hunting is the lack of a fox tail at the end of the chase. He then suggests that the hunt could ask any farmer who had shot a fox with his shotgun to supply a tail.

From my experience, a farmer shooting a fox with a shotgun rarely equates to the farmer actually getting his hands on the fox. The fox is usually peppered at long range with an inadequate shot size, and runs away to die a long lingering death.

Anyway, farmers who support foxhunting are not going to let drag hunters gallop through their crops and break down fences just for the hell of it. They want to see foxes culled or dispersed. - P Sakes, Chester-le-Street.

ON TV recently I saw two little girls, possibly six or seven years old, with a placard saying "We love hunting".

It tells us nothing about these poor little innocents but, oh boy, it sure tells us a helluva lot about their parents. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

DURHAM Tees Valley AIRPORT

THAT last flight from Teesside International Airport/first flight to Durham Tees Valley Airport sounds like a desirably jolly.

Unfortunately, my invitation must have got lost in the post. Still, I have the enduring satisfaction of paying for it all with my council tax. - WM Adamson, Yarm.

IT was interesting to read of the change of name of Teesside Airport. What a pity there is no welcome sign.

As a favour I took my neighbours to meet their relatives on a 2.30pm flight. On arrival, I stopped at the drop off point and was greeted by a airport member of staff who told me to move on or I would be clamped. No 'excuse me sir' but as much tact as a kick in the groin.

I thought a blue badge gave some credibility for parking on a double yellow line without another vehicle even parked there. Perhaps not. Welcome - I think not. - V Tumilty, Hartlepool.

THE promoters of Durham Tees Valley Airport tell us that the whole world knows where Durham is - but are they sure?

According to the captioned photograph on page nine of their publicity brochure (Flightlines) currently being distributed to every home in the region, Durham Cathedral is in Palma, on the island of Majorca.

I do hope that when marketing the airport on a global scale, the promoters are more accurate in telling the world where the airport actually is. The ill-chosen new name suggests that Durham is in the Tees Valley, but most people seem to think that it is on the River Wear.

To my knowledge, neither place is close to the Mediterranean. - WL Norman, Guisborough.

FOOTBALL

RECENTLY there has been much debate concerning the celebration of goals by professional footballers. This has centred round the instruction empowering referees to discipline players for being exuberant.

The rules have been described as silly and unfair. One pundit said that players could not control their behaviour because of the adrenalin rush that occurred after scoring. Well forgive me, I think the rules are entirely fair and it is the players' celebrations that are silly.

Times have certainly changed. There was a time when a dignified handshake sufficed. Then you had players like Denis Law entertaining us with his individual style of celebration.

Now literally anything goes. Some players, if they don't take their shirts off, pull them over their heads and career blindly down the touchline.

Let us not forget the dreadful cavorting round the corner flag and the suicidal leaps into the crowd. What about the undignified spectacle of teams crushing the unfortunate scorer to the ground in a frantic effort to convey their congratulations? One fears what will come next.

No, things have gone too far and sanity needs to be restored. Let us all hope the new enforcement code will succeed and bring some dignified behaviour back into the game. - Derek Parker, Bishop Auckland.

REGIONAL ASSEMBLY

WE are told from all sides, including The Northern Echo, that we must not be apathetic when it comes to voting in the referendum on the North-East Regional Assembly.

Although the Deputy Prime Minister is supposed to have arranged for every household in the region to get a copy of the information leaflet Have Your Say, I have never received one and a number of others I have spoken to are in the same boat.

I set about trying to get a copy, but nobody locally seemed to be able to help.

Eventually, a very helpful lady in the town hall sent me a photocopy of hers.

If this is the way in which the Government seeks to combat apathy it needs to be more efficient in distributing important information to households. It would be interesting to know how many other households have also been disadvantaged.

The leaflet tells one how to find out more, but only those who can access a website are in this privileged position.

More and more organisations and businesses can only be contacted in this way so many people are cut off from information which may be vital. Telephone numbers are not given simply because it is costly to deal with inquiries in this way.

The booklet giving information on how to prepare for a possible terrorist attack has also not reached me or some of my neighbours. After a struggle I got hold of a phone number which deals with requests for copies of the document and was left with the impression that one would be sent to me right away. I am still waiting.

I am beginning to wonder what the Deputy Prime Minister's minions are up to. - RK Bradley, Darlington.