Sir, - I feel it necessary to reply as an employee of Tarmac Northern over Nosterfield Quarry. I would just like to give an alternative view to your readers.

I have been managing Nosterfield Quarry since the company acquired it in 1990; the majority of my staff have been here for many years in good secure employment. We provide a much-needed resource of concreting materials for the construction industry in Yorkshire.

Contrary to recent reports, there is a shortage of these materials now and even more so in the future.

Tarmac is a responsible company and fully aware of the heritage of the Thornborough Henges and surrounding areas; they are not under threat.

The Ladybridge Farm proposal is not near the sacred henges and is, in fact, extending some considerable distance away from the henges area.

Tarmac is a member of the North yorkshire Council cpouncil forum, along with English Heritage and other stakeholders, working towards the best long-term use of the land in the area. Tarmac is also committed to the English Heritage conservation plan for the area to be drawn up over the next 12 months.

Tarmac invests vast sums of money into archaeology including work at Nosterfield which has discovered many features; these finds include tiny fragments of history which would have definitely been lost without Tarmacs intervention. At Nosterfield we have a local liaison committee which includes members from the surrounding parishes, district, county and conservation groups. We have fully consulted with the local communities of our past, present and future proposals with discussion, leaflets, open days and meetings.

The campaigners would have your readers believe everyone is against us; this is not the case, we have many supporters in the local community.

I have had no complaints about my operations and value my good working relationships with local people. The quarry is certified Gold status for environmental performance and the restoration projects have received prestigious awards as well as local nature reserve designation.

I have 15 full-time employees and up to 40 sub-contractors reliant on this site for their livelihood. That is at risk if the planning application is blocked due to campaigners' misleading information.

All I ask is people take a balanced view.

ALAN COE

Nosterfield Quarry manager

Tarmac Northern,

Nosterfield Quarry.

Get a life

Sir, - As a member of the workforce at Nosterfield Quarry, I am continually amazed at the outbursts from G Chaplin and others on your letters page about our workings.

The sheer arrogance of these people beggars belief as they disregard us while attacking our company. The fact that people's jobs are at stake here does not seem to matter.

While they carry on peddling their half-truths and misinformation, perhaps people would like to know the facts. Tarmac submitted an initial plan as a feeler to gauge people's reaction to quarrying in the vicinity of the henges. The fact that people were concerned about this was fair enough, that's what the company wanted to know.

Other plans were drawn up to work away from the henges and keep everyone happy. Because Tarmac has been open and honest in its dealings, it is now being attacked by a group of small-minded individuals whose sole aim is to shut the quarry and throw everyone out of work.

It was interesting to note that in his last outburst, G Chaplin of "Heritage Action" (whoever they may be) was distancing himself from his former Friends of Thornbrough colleagues, so it would seem that as in all extremist organisations, they are even attacking each other.

No doubt I will be slated in your letters page next week for being concerned about my livelihood by Mr Chaplin, who should get a life and let everyone else get on with theirs.

CHARLES JACKSON

Tarmac Northern,

Nosterfield Quarry,

Destruction

Sir, - I love the North of England, but unfortunately it is not looking after its heritage.

I was able to go to the Masham Steam Fair in July, where I met some enthusiastic members of Friends of Thornborough who are concerned about the fate of the Thornborough Henges. These monuments and the surrounding landscape are important enough to be singled out for description in the Time Flyers programme. When I got home I was able to view this destruction on their web site, www.friendsofthornborough.org.

I was most concerned to be told that the land around these three unique henges is to be quarried away. These ancient monuments have managed to survive for 5,000 years and we are only just beginning to understand what they are all about. Are your readers going to let this annihilation of their interesting and valuable heritage continue?

ISABEL KNIPE

Taverners Road,

Peterborough.

Still thankful

Sir, - I am immensely grateful for the time and trouble taken by many of your readers to respond to my letter (D&S, July 30). In particular, I am indebted to Mrs Pound of Catterick who provided us with the lead we needed to establish where Pte Ernest Corps is likely to have lived at the time of his enlistment into the Northumberland Fusiliers.

It appears that his probable address at the time was Aske, near Richmond, and this poor young man's name is included on the list of fallen on Easby Church's war memorial.

This is sufficient evidence to ensure that Scruton will be confirmed as a Thankful Village. We will now be able to proceed with our plans to erect a plaque explaining the installation of the church tower clock was a gesture of the village's thankfulness in the immediate post-Great War period.

This has been a most interesting and satisfying exercise, not least because of the very helpful responses I received from D&S readers.

JANET CRAMPTON

Chairman of Scruton Parish Council

Scruton,

Noisy Leeming

Sir, - The noise emanating from RAF Leeming last Sunday suggested to me that Russian bombers really were flying towards us to attack (Leading article, D&S, July 30).

As phone contact with the base itself was impossible due to calls from other worried residents of Northallerton, I had no option but to retire to my bunker under the bed.

My state of concern occurs because RAF Leeming only operates on a Sunday if a "state of national emergency" arises. As no bombs were dropped I have concluded that the RAF must have been playing around - something which happens far too frequently.

Incidentally the phone operator said he wasn't on the base and had no idea what was happening, that was for the duty office to say. Neither could he say where he was based as that was classified information. "More openness" did I hear the PM say some time ago?

Perhaps our politicians don't know the meaning of that expression.

A J NEGUS

Regency Court,

Northallerton