NATIONAL PARK: WE write to express our concern over a growing threat to one of Britain's most precious national treasures, the North York Moors National Park.

This is a site of extraordinary natural beauty, environmental significance and historical importance, rich in the relics of past generations, from drovers' roads and ancient castles to the world-famous ruins of Rievaulx Abbey. Damage to this precious park is not merely a matter of concern to local residents, it is a loss to the nation as a whole.

Today the safety, beauty and peace of the park is being destroyed by a comparatively new phenomenon: large numbers of speeding bikers, often riding in packs, many of whom travel from great distances to use the roads across the park as a lethal race track, racing at reported speeds of up to 180mph.

Visitors from all over Britain come to the park. Not only is their enjoyment of its peace and beauty being undermined, but they themselves are being put at risk. Lethal crashes and serious accidents have become commonplace. Death and injury to the bikers themselves is unavoidable, but tragically innocent drivers and pedestrians (both residents and visitors) can be victims of this criminal madness.

Environmental damage is also unavoidable, with a real threat to wildlife habitats. For the local community there is also an economic price to pay as visitors, shaken by the sheer number and speed of the bike gangs, leave, never to return.

Last year an action group, Bilsdale Against Noise and Danger (BAND), was formed to address these pressing issues on perhaps the most significant road in the park, the B1257, running from Helmsley to Stokesley. While BAND is not against bikers, it is strongly against those who use this road as a lethal race track.

We would like to record our support for this community campaign and call on the authorities to act now as a matter of urgency to meet BAND's five principal demands. These are:

1 To reduce the speed limit to a maximum of 50mph on all roads within the North York Moors National Park.

2 To seek a significant enhancement of traffic police presence and road safety enforcement on the B1257.

3 To see the introduction of speed cameras on the B1257.

4 To seek police action against illegal noise pollution by motorbikes within the North York Moors National Park.

5 To reduce the volume of heavy commercial vehicles transiting the Park. - Richard Allan MP, David Andrews, Peter Beaumont, Jack Berry MBE, Brian Blessed, David Bowe MEP, Mr and Mrs Geoffrey Boycott OBE, Arthur Butterworth MBE, Dame Antonia (AS) Byatt DBE, Robin Compton, Richard Corbett MEP, Ian Curtis, Rt Hon the Lord Peter Feversham, James (Jimmy) FitzGerald, Steve Gibson, Sir Ben Gill, Sir David Goodall, John Greenway MP, Rt Rev Ambrose Griffiths, Rt Hon William Hague MP, Sir Bernard Ingham, Alice Mahon MP, Edward McMillan-Scott MEP, Professor David Moody, Councillors Christopher Parkin, Bob Pendlebury OBE, Michael Richardson, Lord (Brian) Rix, Patrick Stewart OBE, Janet Street-Porter, Alan Titchmarsh MBE, Fred Trueman, Zoe Wannamaker CBE, Rev Canon Glyn Webster, Councillor Richard Murray Wells, Rt Rev Timothy Wright MA.

COUNCIL TAX

TONY Blair, John Prescott and Nick Raynsford went on record and promised that councils who charged community tax in high single figures would be capped.

Darlington Council's 9.7 per cent meets this criteria. Will the promises made be kept? I doubt it. - R Elliott, Darlington.

DARLINGTON FC

DARLINGTON wouldn't have had a football team if George Reynolds hadn't paid their £5m debt and to rub salt into the wounds they are dismantling the name Reynolds Arena.

If the council had let the stadium be used for car boot sales and entertainment it would still be the Reynolds Arena, but that's Darlington all over. All take, no give.

George Reynolds gave all that money for nothing. - D Howe, Darlington.

EUROPE

TONY Blair has announced that our destiny is in our hands; the public should have the final say on the European constitution. Hooray. That's what we've been asking for.

He says we must decide whether we want this country to be at the heart of Europe. Well no Mr Blair, we don't. We are not at the heart now and we never have been. Those exalted places are strictly reserved for Germany and France. Voting yes in a referendum won't change the situation.

Surely we have given up enough of our national sovereignty and rights already. If we really were at the heart of Europe, we would not have allowed our fishing and farming industries to be decimated, as they have been, for a start.

Now Mr Blair mangles his replies to questions and hints at a second ballot (Echo, Apr 22). It seems that if we don't vote his way at first he will twist a few words, spin a few phrases and ask us to vote again. He doesn't want to take no for an answer.

Thank you Mr Blair, for the U-turn. let's have the referendum now not later. Let's agree that the result will be binding. No months of talk, talk, talk before we get the chance to vote. Save your breath. Most people already know how they feel about the EU.

No second ballots, no twists, no spin. Just a vote, no please. - EA Moralee, Billingham.

AS a member of the UK Independence Party I have always admired Neil Herron.

He stood up for the persecuted greengrocer, who was fined for selling bananas by the pound. That greengrocer died recently.

Neil's letters and arguments are really convincing, but why on earth would a man so opposed to the EU, as I am myself, wish to submit himself as a candidate for the European elections?

And he's not the first. It beggars all logic. Like Al Capone complaining about the crime figures in Chicago. - Jim Ross, Rowlands Gill.

MEALS ON WHEELS

THE debate about Meals on Wheels seems to be attracting those who are either not able to understand the way services are provided by local councils or prefer to muddy the waters for their own nefarious ends.

Peter Dolan (HAS, Apr 26) is a prime example of the latter when he accuses Councillor Christine Smith (incorrectly) of acting like Marie Antoinette. The councillor didn't say that social security benefits were a replacement for meals on wheels (correctly), but pointed out (correctly) that the county council provides support for claiming such entitlements and that this is (correctly) only one of the ways that the county council tries to ensure that people can access and be a part of their community.

Peter Dolan then goes on to prove the need of such services when he (incorrectly) says that all benefits are means tested. He also (incorrectly) accuses the county council of taking his pension rise in rent and poll tax (the county council collect rent or council tax), and water rates (that's the water board). - Phil Hanns, Durham.