28/01/03

How can a man who chased vandals damaging his home end up being charged?

It is easy for the police to get a conviction on a person who tells the truth and is law abiding than the criminal who tells lies. Where's the justice? - D Kitchin, Billingham.

Darlington FC

SO, 14,000 so-called Darlington fans turned out for these charity games.

The one thing I would like to know is: where were these fans before?

If you were true fans you would have turned out at every home game. No wonder the club is near bankrupt.

Stop blaming other people for your own mistakes and get out there and support your team and club and put your money where your mouth is. - S Beaton, Darlington.

WELL, I do think this is the end of the Quakers. With those debts they have no chance and I do not think they will find another mug like Mr Reynolds to step in and save them again.

The people to blame for the mess they are in are the absent fans and a stupid council.

I can't understand why Mr Reynolds was not allowed to use the stadium for other things besides football, after all the stadium does belong to him. - W Lamb, Ferryhill.

IT'S a shame that Darlington's Liberal Democrats are seeking political advantage from the recent planning application for a car boot sale at the Reynolds Arena (HAS, Jan 26).

Whilst it is true that the Liberal Democrat councillor on the planning committee supported the application, the motion to approve the car boot sale came from John Williams, the Labour Leader of the Council and was supported by all six of his Labour colleagues.

For the record, the three Conservative councillors on the committee voted against the car boot sale taking place. - Chris McEwan, Chair, Darlington Labour Party.

PETER MULLEN

THE vitriolic vicar has been at it again. Peter Mullen (Echo, Jan 20) states that the reason for the existence of a pheasant is that it can be shot; indeed, blasted to bits by a shotgun.

I had presumed that Christians regarded the sanctity of life as one of the Prime Directive. No so, according to Peter Mullen. Shoot the pheasant.

The Chinese Golden Pheasant is one of the many gorgeous birds which live on our planet. Mr Mullen says that it is only there to be shot.

There is an old Sunday School hymn which he knows, but chooses to ignore: "All Things Bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, the Lord God made them all." - Mr Coates, Shildon.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

YOUR correspondent (HAS, Jan 22) fails to say that Durham County Council is lacking in so many issues and can be accused on many occasions of failing.

While the huge rises in council taxes and other hikes can to some extent be blamed on the Government, its own mismanagement is obvious.

As for the district councils and their localness, that leaves much to be desired.

A town like Crook would be better served running its own affairs and issues like education, social services, police and others, should be left to be run by professionals.

To think my council tax is used to top up certain pension funds, while services like keeping the town clean are being eroded is unacceptable and inexcusable.

The rises in perks for our councillors are no match for their performances nor does it seem improve the lot of many.

As for Mr Collinson and his assertion council tax is based on real estate values and not based on ability to pay, which is the only true test of a tax, the council tax is obscene on the basis that many people have put their savings into that real estate, yet are penalised for doing so. - J Young, Crook.

RAY MALLON

RAY Mallon's mention of Ken Livingstone's return (Echo, Jan 23) to the Labour fold, after a few years of ostracism, wasn't at all surprising.

The likes of myself never ever saw Ken Livingstone as divorced from Labour, just separated - and consequently an independent for the time being.

Ray Mallon leans just slightly towards Labour, but prefers the independence. And this way none of those miscellaneous voters are likely to be disappointed in Mayor Ray Mallon's politics, they being in essence, local stuff.

Come the next mayoral election down in London, Ken Livingstone will fly his try colours - Labour's red rose. - Alfred Lister, Guisborough.

VALENTINE'S DAY

I WAS interested to read the article (Echo, Jan 22) about the origins of Valentine's Day (admittedly an advertising feature) but noticed that nothing was said about the fact that St Valentine's Day was reputedly the day on which the birds chose their mates - another slant on the occasion. - Barbara Gatford, Ripon.

ROBERT KILROY-SILK

PETER Johnston is mistaken (HAS, Jan 24). Many of us who object to Mr Kilroy-Silk's comments have also voiced our objections to oppressive Arab states, and to the practice of punishing criminals by flogging, mutilating or killing them.

Many Muslims share our concerns. Writer/broadcaster Zia Sardar has this to say: "These are 'outer limit' laws, to be carried out only under extreme conditions and after certain basic requirements of social justice, distribution of wealth, responsibility of the state towards its citizens, mercy and compassion are fulfilled." He describes the self-declared 'Islamic' states as behaving totally contrary to the teachings of the Qur'an... yet justifying their oppressions in the name of Islam. They are, he says: "Nothing more than cynical instruments to justify the rule of a particular class, family or the military."

Journalists have a responsibility to acknowledge that most of those who suffer under such regimes are themselves devout Muslims, and to recognise the efforts of the many Muslims and Arabs who campaign for justice and human rights.

Mr Kilroy-Silk's sweeping generalisations betray his ignorance of the Arab world and its history, and can serve only to exacerbate irrational anti-Arab sentiment and Islamophobia. - Pete Winstanley, Durham.