BEHAVIOUR IN SPORT: YOUR Comment (Echo, Dec 1) that football managers like Graham Souness should go and watch a rugby match as he 'might learn something' once again propagates the myth that this public school game creates gentlemen and soccer is merely for yobs.

I was never a fan of Graham Souness as a player; he had a nasty side to him and his recent comments as a manager were childish.

But even 'hard man' Souness has never lowered himself to some of the antics on a rugby field. Let us not forget that in the recent World Cup Final, England went 5-0 down following a penalty, given when an English forward swung a punch in a ruck.

In another international not many years ago, an English forward and serving police officer smashed an opponent's jaw to pieces in an unprovoked attack at a line-out.

I also never recall Souness 'eye gouging' an opponent and detaching his retina. Moreover, Souness has not torn an opponent's testicles as a French forward once did against New Zealand.

Despite being the hard man of English football for over ten years, Souness managed to keep his good looks. Had he been a rugby player he would have probably have an ugly mug by now thanks to years of, punching, head butting, biting, stamping and gouging. - John Gilmore, Bishop Auckland.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

THE article (Echo, Dec 2) about the shake-up plan for local authorities will, I hope, provoke a more knowledgeable debate about regionalisation.

For the first time I agree with Councillor John Weighell when he said "minimise cost and disruption and maximise the economies of scale and the clout and the authority" and we, in this part of North Yorkshire, who have lived near the jealousy between the district council and county council would say amen to his statement.

Of course, I would go for the first option because it is the only one giving clear definition to development responsibilities and having the "clout" within the regional structure to implement progress. The idea that small is always beautiful, and the opinions that small unitary councils can keep the people closer to authority is to display an incredible ignorance into the full movement of change coming right down to parish level.

I am surprised that the media, in all the debates about the regionalisation, have ignored the effect on local people from the proposed changes in parish/town council to Quality Councils. In fact I would dare to say the media are completely unaware of the position of Quality Councils and their power within the regional structure.

This change, with the Unitary Authority plan, would in plain terms revert town, and surrounding parishes, into what would be very similar to the old rural/urban councils and I, for one, cannot think of any system of local government better than that to be both representative and near to the people. - Rob Kennedy, Northallerton.

MIDDLE EAST

THE Palestine/Israel problem can only be solved when the Arabs accept the states of Israel and Israel accepts the rights of Palestine.

Since the formation of Israel in 1947 by a United Nations mandate, certain Arab states have refused to recognise that mandate and are still at war with Israel, and unless the various terrorist groups who constantly attack Israel stop, then I see no solution to the problem. I see no sense in the British people getting involved.

As for the cowardly attack by the terrorists who crawl about like vermin killing indiscriminately, then the talking of justification for these people, is inexcusable and has no merit whatsoever. They must be treated like the evil they are. - John Young, Crook.

ENVIRONMENT

THE correspondent (HAS, Dec 3) referring to our untidy environment, suggests that we impose an instant fine of maybe £5 for littering the streets.

I would like to remind your readers that there is already an instant fine of at least £10 for that offence, but who is there on the job to catch them? I have never personally heard of anyone being convicted. - J P Lassey, Thirsk.

DURHAM CENTRE

IF the leader, councillors and social services department officers of Durham County Council were to visit Durham Centre and properly get to know the special facilities as well as the people who use it, they would most probably find that is provides the best way of providing day care for most of its users.

They would then realise that, if they do close it, then they would have to replace it in order to maintain the same level of care.

Before they even consider taking the drastic step of closing Durham Centre, they must make such visits and consider the consequences of closure.

Those that do sanction closure will in the end stand condemned of depriving many severely disabled people of the very thing which they need, ie safe, adequate day care and companionship.

I would now ask them publicly if they will make such visits. - John Routledge, Witton Gilbert.

CHRISTMAS CARDS

THE Government's ban on Christian Christmas cards in work places, in case they offend, needs to be carefully looked at.

Does the ban intend to cover the inclusion of Christ, as in Christmas, in the greetings, in case this too offends?

What next - The Northern Echo moved out of Priestgate into Clericgate? - Councillor Tony Pelton, Catterick.

EUROPE

AFTER recent events nobody can have any doubts about who is in charge at the European Union.

Germany insisted, on the introduction of the euro, that a growth and stability pact be formed whereby any country running a budget deficit of over three per cent for three years would be liable for fines by Brussels and regulatory enforcement.

As on many previous occasions, France has totally disregarded this rule, as has Germany, whereas small countries have been forced to introduce unpopular reforms to comply with the pact.

Instead of pushing through reforms to correct this budget in-balance, France and Germany, because of their size, have steamrollered the majority of their EU partners into accepting a suspension of the pact. It is doubtful if France will comply before 2006.

Yet Blair wishes to hand over even more power to the EU against the wishes of the majority of the people in the UK. - K Peacock, Hurworth Place.

ENTERPRISE

THE man who ordered the dolls modelled on Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein (Echo, Nov 27) to sell to Israelis must surely be a very poor businessman.

Even if the dolls do sing and dance and carry toy guns, the market for them is hardly enormous.

I would imagine the budding entrepreneur will lose heavily on his investment and rightly so.

Who in their right mind would want to own a doll version of anyone who has brought so much suffering to so many? - EA Moralee, Billingham.