No headpine

Unfortunately, that is easier said than done.

So great is the number of the latter coming in - most of them posing as asylum seekers - that all get tarred with the same brush, genuine cases included.

And, of course, there have been instances of genuine people being forcibly repatriated, with what likely consequences one prefers not to speculate about.

Meanwhile, David Blunkett gives an amnesty to 15,000 illegals who have disappeared without trace.

Such are the vagaries of a system that, unfair and inadequate to begin with, has now broken down under the strain.

The fact is the present situation is completely out of control and its continuance is in neither our interest nor that of people fleeing here from persecution abroad. To pretend otherwise is not to accept reality. - T Kelly, Crook.

THE amnesty given to 15,000 asylum seekers and their families is the latest act of surrender and admission of failure of an inept and dangerous government that has simply lost control.

Mr Blunkett assures us that this action was taken to reduce the burden on the taxpayer, and to slow down the legal aid gravy train with its passenger load of human rights lawyers. Absolute rubbish. This is the third amnesty that this Government has announced since it came to power in 1997, bringing the total of illegal immigrants granted leave to stay to around 60,000.

However, Mr Blunkett assures us that this amnesty is a 'trade off' as they now intend to get 'really tough' on asylum applications and illegal immigration.

Anyone who believed this rhetoric could also be counted upon to believe in the tooth fairy.

Acceptance of the proposed European constitution will remove completely our independent asylum and immigration policy and place us entirely at the mercy of the EU. A point notably absent from Mr Blunkett's words of assurance.

We can be assured, however, that the needs of illegal immigrants and lawyers will always take precedence over the wishes of the lawful population. - Dave Pascoe, Press Secretary, Hartlepool branch, UK Independence Party.

FORCES SUPPORT

IN the last year, our volunteer caseworkers nationally have helped 78,000 people or families, raising £14m towards their care.

Locally in SSAFA's Durham County Branch area, we have raised £284,000 and handled more than 1,000 cases.

Our volunteers give their time freely, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who give time or money to the association to help alleviate hardship and distress among the serving and ex-service population and their families. Without you we could not carry on our work, but there is still much that needs to be done.

As hostilities in the Gulf fade from the front pages it would be easy to forget those who have served and are serving. Many of them will need specialist support and care in the future. SSAFA Forces Help will always be there to pick up the pieces when these brave men, women and their families need someone to turn to.

Our volunteer caseworkers come across situations where ex-servicemen and women face distress and isolation, many of them scarred by their experiences. So please help us fulfil our promise 'to relieve suffering and distress of all serving and ex-servicemen and women and their families' by donating your time or a financial contribution.

Remember your help can make a real difference to someone who has served to give us the freedom that we have today. - Les Hutchinson, Durham County branch Secretary, SSAFA Forces Help.

Teesside AIRPORT

I SHARE a certain misgiving about the suggestion that Teesside International Airport should change its name.

Surely we have learned the lesson of re-branding which followed the change of title for the Tees Bay area from Durham and North Yorkshire to Teesside to Cleveland, and now we have the unitary authorities of Langbaurgh, Middlesbrough, Stockton and Hartlepool. The name Durham-Tees Valley is no more than a fudge.

Nevertheless, if a new name is required may I endorse the view of the majority who would favour James Cook International Airport with the full address of James Cook International Airport, Tees Valley, Durham, United Kingdom.

The famous explorer is known throughout the world from Australia to Alaska, from Hawaii to Tahiti, and is no less famous than Charles de Gaulle and John F Kennedy whose names are synonymous with international airports. - JA Cowan, Durham.

ROAD POLICY

I SOMETIMES wonder if there are other towns that manage to alter the bypass as often as Darlington, and also whether any other town has seven schools within such a short distance of the road.

Many of the pupils have to run to get across the road at the busiest times of the day. But I suppose having the road dug up does help to slow down the otherwise racing traffic.

Why has it become necessary for the kerbs to be raised again? They were raised, then later the bus kerbs were added and now they are all being moved again, and all this within two may be three years.

It is also interesting that cameras are placed on the dual carriageway at Long Newton but, on the outer stretch of Darlington, which is a lethal piece of road, drivers can go as fast as they like.

It has been suggested that the road from the A66 to the Durham turn-off is going to be made into dual carriageway, but the Darlington/Whinfield piece remains unchanged.

Does this mean that, as usual, Darlington has the traffic and hassle of Teesside but none of the benefits? - Mr and Mrs E King, Darlington.

GEORGE GALLOWAY

PITY the New Labour clone who draws the short straw to contest Glasgow Central in the next General Election if George Galloway makes good his pledge to stand as an independent in protest against his expulsion.

Far from bringing the Labour Party into disrepute, Mr Galloway has voiced the anger of a large majority of party members, certainly the two million who marched to London to protest against the illegal invasion of Iraq.

By doing the Prime Minister's bidding in kicking out this principled campaigner for peace, the three-person kangaroo court has done more to bring the Labour Party into disrepute than anyone, with the possible exception of Tony Blair himself. Do these show trials stooges imagine that the decline of the Labour Party can be pinned on Mr Galloway?

The finest people in Britain, young and old, will support Mr Galloway in his fight against the sell-off of Iraq's industrials and the exploitation of her citizens, and his demand that British troops should come out of this death trap safe and sound, back to their lovely homeland. - James Fitzpatrick, Socialist Labour Party Tyne Bridge Constituency, Gateshead.