24/11/03

I explained to him a rumour was spinning around Priestgate that periodically the editorial team sat around the table undecided on the format of the main headline, blaming the canteen tea for their dilemma.

Their solution was to don black skeleton Halloween costumes and masks then circle the table reciting the immortal words of Private Fraser in Dad's Army: "Doomed, doomed, we are all doomed". Ritual accomplished, they sit down then decide a way to increase the newspaper circulation. In the print room it is known as the 'scary scoop'.

We have read it all before, the Hartlepool power station, overhead electricity pylons, oil tankers sailing up the Tees, too many cars in our towns and cities, water from disused mines. The doomsday scenario will always excite a minority into action to create a story.

The front-page picture only proves there are thousands of tons of steel to be reclaimed by an industrious company with expertise in the dismantling business. They are not going to risk financial ruin through careless workmanship.

The arguments against the enterprise are based on groundless speculation. If the protestors are genuine in their complaints, why have they not caused an uproar against dog owners whose animals pollute a promenade area stretching from Whitley Bay to Saltburn?

Why is there no outcry about the possibility of the Shields ferry colliding with the Scandinavian ferry, which would cause huge environmental problems on the River Tyne?

The media wanted a story, the protestors wanted prime time television and now they have had their interests highlighted it is time to let the real work begin. - Thomas Conlon, Spennymoor.

HAS Brian Fiske (HAS, Nov 20) never heard the term "oil and water don't mix"?

To suggest that the oily ballast from the ghost ships will be discharged to a "secure lagoon to prevent leakage" is just another example of people who do not seem to know anything about the marine world trying to gain a few Brownie points.

Oily ballast water is commonly discharged from sea-going tankers at numerous jetties on the Tees into shore holding tanks. The oil then separates from the water, by floating on top of the water and the clean water is discharged back to the river, the oil residues being re-cycled. - Ray Arkless, Witton-le-Wear.

DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL

I WOULD like to take the opportunity to respond to Councillor John Shuttleworth's remarks (Echo, Nov 14) about Durham County Council's overview and scrutiny development workshop.

He is quoted as saying that the committee is "nothing more than a talking shop and achieves nothing".

This is a statutory committee which is required to scrutinise the council's performance. The committee is non-political. It is seen by the Government as a key element for more effective local government.

It provides an opportunity to challenge the council's Cabinet and seek improvement in the council's services.

Coun Shuttleworth is a member of this committee and, indeed, under the council's constitution, participating in the work of the committee should be one of his main roles. Unfortunately, he has chosen not to take up this new opportunity over the last two years.

For example, last month, Coun Shuttleworth was invited to seven major meetings of the committee's budget working group. This group has been looking at the whole of the council's £465m revenue budget.

It has suggested that any council tax increase should be restricted as much as possible and made a list of recommendations to try to improve the council's efficiency and suggest savings.

Unfortunately, Coun Shuttleworth did not attend any of these meetings. This was an ideal opportunity for him to put forward his views on behalf of his constituents.

Two other issues under investigation are public and school transport. Coun Shuttleworth's views about the implications for Weardale would have been helpful to seek to improve services. Sadly, he has also not participated in these exercises.

The committee has to produce an annual report to set out its achievements. One of the reasons for the development workshop is to give members and non-county council representatives who work with councillors on this committee the opportunity to review how successful this new venture has been and to seek improvements. - Councillor Joe Armstrong, Chairman, Durham County Council's Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

I'M pleased David Davis has asked for the return of the death penalty. In my view, lefty liberalism has ruined our society and must be recognised as a perverse period in our history.

I do not hold with the idea that hanging or the electric chair could ever drastically reduce the chances of people killing other human beings in cold blood. After all "murder most foul" was far from commonplace when capital punishment was the accepted norm.

Statistically, we are now seeing the effect of four decades without the punishment.

There will always be murderous crime so long as we overlook the ultimate deterrent. How many more innocents must die before MPs understand this simple fact? - Aled Jones, Bridlington.

POLITICS

Here we go again: ban hunting, ostracise the smoker, banish the binge drinkers, milk the motorists and sue the confectioners for the obese.

Why don't we tackle real issues like taxation, job losses, pensions and crime?

Already the utilities are warning us of large increases and in a few weeks we will be softened up for a double digit rise in council tax.

Outsourcing - sounds quite friendly - but what it really means is redundancy and the dole queue for UK workers and total exploitation of workers abroad.

Crime: the country is sliding into a lawless state with no effective deterrent.

Pensions - what a mess - a non-contributor can draw out more pension than a person who has paid in for a lifetime.

Don't worry about smokers and boozers. They make vast amounts of revenue for Flash Gordon's coffers and a healthy Reynard can outfox the red coats any day. - N Punchard, Leyburn.

POLICE COSTS

THE 30 per cent required by our chief constable as part of the community charge for policing Richmondshire is too much for many of our members to bear. Why are we paying Richmond for empty police stations and no police available when needed?

Is it not time for North Yorkshire County Council to abandon the community charge and have it replaced with an 'ability to pay' system?

Please consider the grief the current system is causing to many workers on low incomes. Many of our members are at financial breaking point, and whether it be called 'poll tax' or whatever, it is becoming too oppressive as currently organised. - N Connolly, Branch Secretary, T & G Northern.