AIRCRAFT: I WISH people in authority would think before calling those of us who complain about low-flying aircraft whingers.

I was subjected to an horrendous dive bomb attack by a Tornado fighter three months ago and I am still suffering.

I used to work all hours that God sent in a very toxic, noisy plant in the middle of ICI where even shouting was useless, but the fighter shock waves were so serious I can understand how war veterans suffer a form of motor neurone disease. - C Davison, Billingham.

CANCER SERVICES

I ALWAYS enjoy reading my Northern Echo, but two articles that appeared (Echo, June 15) dismayed and disgusted me.

Cancer patients in the area are still subjected to the 'postcode lottery', despite your campaign when an extra chemotherapy suite would help those living on a knife edge on a daily basis, and although Prof Richards says it is not due to lack of public money, that's not what the local health trusts are saying.

Then I was disgusted that a company which has increased its profits from £1.6m to £3.9m has been given a grant from public money of a quarter of a million pounds, to keep its plant open with a threat of the loss of 150 jobs.

One NorthEast should not allow companies like Barbour to get public funds on the threat of job losses.

One NorthEast is supposed to help companies that have hit difficulties through no fault of their own, not companies with profits of £3.9m.

Sometimes it's better for employees to make a fresh start now rather then have a sword hanging above their heads, not knowing whether they should take on any further commitment. - Ron Young, Thornaby.

WASTE MANAGEMENT

AS the Durham County Council cabinet member with responsibility for waste management, I write to congratulate the City of York Council on its achievement of recycling and composting 15.4 per cent of household waste during the last year (Echo, June 10).

Perhaps the Government will now recognise that great strides are being made by North-East councils and public in the recycling field and that the North-East has much to offer in terms of innovative approaches to waste management.

The residents of County Durham have contributed significantly to raising the county recycling and composting rate from seven per cent two years ago to 17 per cent last year. This means we have greatly exceeded the target expected of us by the Government of ten per cent, and proves the success that can be achieved by a strategic and partnership approach to waste management issues.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the public of County Durham for the part they have played and to encourage them to continue their active role in recycling over the coming years. - Brian Myers MBE, County Councillor, Cabinet Member for Waste Management, Durham County Council.

EUROPE

IT is clear from the results of the European elections that some people have been the victims of the virulent anti-European publicity displayed by a large part of the British media, but thankfully, not The Northern Echo.

The Tories must take the major share of the blame for this - they are hopelessly divided on Europe and it is now the time for Michael Howard to come out and say the Conservatives are a pro-European party.

He is running scared of UKIP because they are mostly disaffected Tories with a Little Englander complex.

Well, the Tories never learn the lessons of history. After two disastrous world wars it is totally unbelievable they would help create a situation where we could have another.

Europe is the largest emerging political and economic block in the world and the only defence against the new American imperialism which Blair has ignored to his peril.

Hopefully, when the General Election comes along, UKIP will be consigned to the political dustbin where it belongs. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

THE EU constitution allows for the primacy of EU law over the law of nation states. It's become fashionable over the last few months to use this as an example of just how momentous the treaty will be, and how it clearly involves the total surrender of British sovereignty to Europe.

But it's been pointed out again and again that the primacy of international law over national law really is nothing new. It's not a fundamental change, in fact, it's not a change at all. It's a straightforward reinforcement of exactly what has always been the case across the European Union since its earliest days.

Think about it. Without this principle, all international agreements would be meaningless. Suppose a country decides on a shared policy together with its European neighbours. Can this country then simply disregard the agreement when it comes to putting legislation into place, and do the opposite of what was decided? Of course not. If it could, what could be the point of the agreement in the first place?

This is precisely the basis on which the French ban on British beef was overturned a few years ago. And it applies not just across the EU but more widely: the European Court of Human Right can overrule national governments if they violate citizens' humans rights. On a global level, exactly the same principle underpins the notion of international law, allowing the international community to ban landmines, and giving teeth to the war crimes tribunal in The Hague.

The fact that national law can sometimes be superseded gives the Eurosceptics a good tub to thump - but there really is no logic to their argument. In this respect, at least, the draft EU constitution is simply reiterating what everyone always knew. - John Foster, Hartlepool.

PAVEMENTS

HAS the Government sneaked through a law altering the use of pavements.

I used to feel fairly safe, but now I frequently just miss being knocked over by cyclists.

I would be grateful if someone explained the rules to me - something on the lines of the Highway Code. Do I also have to make the hand signals of one raised finger or sometimes two? - Barbara Harris, Darlington.

SECOND WORLD WAR

THE anniversary of D-Day has caused me to recall one of my wartime memories.

As a child, I was sitting in my gran's bedroom in South View, Bishop Auckland, where, in the distance, I enjoyed fine views of South Church, Shildon, and the steam trains emerging from Shildon tunnel.

One day, possibly in 1943 or 1944, a blaze of fire appeared to light up the whole of a bank in the Shildon area. I believe it was one of our planes which crashed.

All these years and my curiosity has never been satisfied. Does anyone know what it was doing over Shildon? Did all of the crew escape? And what was the date? What type of plane it was? Any information would be appreciated. - Mary Grant, Skelton, Saltburn.