FOOTBALL PARKING: THERE is a possible solution to the ongoing problem of parking around Darlington football ground that would benefit all.

Why doesn't the council approach industrial sites and schools which have large car parking space standing empty at the appropriate times and run low cost buses from those sites?

The business or school could be given a percentage of the fare and as only a number of buses would need to be put to use for a specific period of time, the cost of running them could easily be covered. Any money left over could go to the club itself.

The supporters then get safe, controlled parking at a fraction of the cost of the club car park, the Neasham Road area is kept free of unwanted traffic, the cost to the council would be met and the businesses and schools gain extra revenue - surely an all-round winner?

Also, if the scheme proves popular it could be used as a basis for a proper Park and Ride for Darlington without the need to carve up any more of our countryside. - Marie King, Darlington.

HOUSING

MORE great news for home owners. Their already vastly inflated house prices are set to continue to rise further.

Unfortunately for myself and many others the opportunity to have a home of my own seems to have plummeted.

When I commenced my training to become a nurse six years ago, I looked forward to receiving a fair wage and being able to buy a house when qualified.

However, neither of these, it seems, will see fruition. I would therefore like to hear the Government's response to my plight and that of current and future school leavers, university graduates, along with the rest of our vital public service workers, where dreams of owning their own home are exactly that.

I, for one, am seriously considering whether I wish to live and work in a country where owning your own home is quickly becoming the preserve of the wealthy. - Name and address supplied.

Shildon RAILWAY MUSEUM

PASSING through Shildon at the weekend, the railway museum is certainly taking shape and I am sure will be very popular to people from all over the world, as is the museum at York.

Oh dear, on coming through the main streets of Shildon at 3.30pm on a Saturday afternoon it was a very different experience.

It was like a ghost town with the majority of the shops closed with the shutters down or empty in a derelict state.

I could count the number of people in the main street in single figures. Such a shame, as it was once a thriving local town with hustle and bustle.

I would hope that Shildon would get a spin-off from tourists visiting the museum, but I am afraid at the moment many visitors will wonder where they have come, go to the museum and return home.

I would hope that some infrastructure will be put in place to make Shildon proud of its railway heritage, to make the whole experience of the visit worthwhile and to put Shildon back on the map again. We shall see. - Peter C Hall, Bishop Auckland.

ANIMAL CIRCUSES

THERE is a growing concern amongst the public about the welfare of animals used in performances such as circuses and the Captive Animals' Protection Society agrees with Lucy Crabtree (HAS, Mar 27) in her opposition to animal circuses.

CAPS is just one of many animal protection organisations working to end the use of animals in circuses. By their very nature, circuses cannot meet all the welfare needs of animals.

Animals are transported from town to town on lorries for most of the year, kept in temporary accommodation and then subjected to training methods that have been shown to include verbal abuse and physical beatings.

Many vets, animal behaviourists and other experts who have studied animals in circuses also wish to see an end to their use. A circus is simply no life for an animal.

The good news is that every single person can make a difference. By avoiding animal circuses, and instead visiting only the ones that rely on human skills (of which there are many) you can help end the use of animals. - Craig Redmond, Campaigns Officer, The Captive Animals' Protection Society.

MUSLIMS

PETER Mullen (Echo, Mar 30) is barking up the wrong tree.

George Carey is entitled to his opinion - the issue is not freedom of speech.

However, it is disappointing that someone who has done much to improve relations between Islam and Christianity should contribute to the misrepresentation of Islam as an inferior culture.

Perhaps he should have another look at the Gospel according to Matthew, regarding motes and beams.

Consider some of the achievements of Western Christian civilisation. Colonisation, exploitation and genocide - the near annihilation of the native peoples of North and South America and Australia. Two world wars and the atom bomb. Devastating pollution of land, sea and air. And, of course, global capitalism - the system which allows those who simply play games with other people's money to acquire vast wealth, while many countries are overburdened with debt and millions die from starvation and preventable disease.

Zakat, one of the four pillars of Islam, teaches that all possessions belong to God, and so the needy are entitled to a share of your income and wealth.

Usury is forbidden in Islam. Jesus had some harsh words for money-lenders too. But our Chaplain to the Stock Exchange seems to have forgotten that. - Pete Winstanley, Durham.

REGIONAL GOVERNMENT

EIGHTEEN months ago when I asked Mr Blair about the regionalisation timetable he replied, curiously, that "'some in the Cabinet were keener on regionalisation than others".

The legislation to enable a vote on the proposed elected assembly has not yet been introduced into the parliamentary timetable and time is running out.

The Referendum Bill will need to be introduced for inclusion by the end of this month and will, because of the lack of parliamentary time, require the co-operation of the cross benchers in the House of Lords if the Bill is to become Law in time for October.

The Deputy Prime Minister stated recently in the North-East that a referendum would definitely take place. I suspect that Mr Blair is going to have to organise some political horse trading to achieve his deputy's 30-year dream, assuming that the PM is one of those keen on the issue! - Peter Troy, Chairman, Darlington Branch, Federation of Small Businesses.