IAIN DUNCAN SMITH: LET'S hold on a minute: misuse of public funds by virtue of employing a member of your family, an act not unfamiliar in Westminster, Brussels or the country at large.

If wrongdoing is found, then yes, IDS should be disciplined according to the rules of Parliament.

What of real abuses of money? What of the Formula One dealings, the Hinduja and Mittal affairs, mortgage deals for Peter Mandelson etc?

What of Jo Moore, Stephen Byers and Martin Sixsmith?

What of Black Rod and the Queen Mother's funeral?

The latest news that Tony Blair actually chaired the meeting that resulted in the "outing" of Dr Kelly should send shivers down those who respect democracy. - Jim Tague, Bishop Auckland Conservatives.

ASYLUM SEEKERS

PETE Widlinski (HAS, Oct 10) totally ignores the fears of the English people, dismissing them with "who are the English anyway?".

We are the people whose land is being dispossessed by the urge to settle immigrants here regardless of the wishes of people who have lived here for thousands of years and do not want to lose England.

It is Tony Blair's Government which is giving full rein to crowd foreigners into this small island, with blind disregard for the consequences, coupled with a complete insensitivity to the fears of the English people who are not so blinkered as to accept the lies being used to enforce this situation on us.

I can tell you, most English people do not want their country to be taken over. - W Walton, Stockton.

DOES Pete Winstanley (HAS, Oct 7) not realise the cost of illegal immigration to taxpayers?

Our Home Secretary admits he hasn't a clue how many are in our country and still coming in by the thousand every week.

Common sense should tell him that we cannot sustain the millions of pounds it costs to house, feed and keep these people, all at a cost to taxpayers.

We have not the room in our country for all these illegal immigrants. We have our own people who need all the help.

People who have fallen on hard times, a lot who fought for the freedom of our country and who are now being put out of OAPs' homes because this Government says it cannot afford to keep them open.

If, as he says, the Government has tightened our border controls, how are all these people coming in and then doing a disappearing act?

Obviously our supposed border controls are not working, or none exist.

A Government which is billions in debt and taxpayers who are soaked with extra taxes just cannot afford this unchecked explosion of immigration to our country. - F Wealand, Darlington.

DARLINGTON FC

GEORGE Reynolds is a highly successful businessman who has shown he can take on businesses he has no training for and come up trumps.

His current enterprise at Darlington shows his vision and self-belief. He is a man who is used to getting what he wants and the fear engendered at the thought of losing the football club will be enough to ensure the status quo.

At the end of the day, I do not see a man like Mr Reynolds handing over to sports professionals when he still has so much to prove to his detractors.

His motivation has always been the interest of Darlington FC, not his own. I am absolutely sure that quality football was and remains the ideal behind his arena.

This is not to say that the council is not absolutely right to demand that Mr Reynolds remains totally focused on the reasons for the authority's past benevolence towards him.

I am sure that DFC is safe in Mr Reynolds' hands. - CS Simons, Bishop Auckland.

COUNCIL TAX

I WONDER if our council in Darlington will follow Kent County Council and implement the same plan to keep pensioners' rises in council tax in line with the rate of inflation.

It has won Government approval. The scheme should be used by every council. - N Tate, Darlington.

RISE OF EVIL

I WAS rather absorbed in the television drama Hitler: The Rise of Evil, on Channel Four recently and agree with Steve Pratt's review of the programme (Echo, Oct 6).

Actor Robert Carlyle played the part of Hitler very well.

Most memorable was the stunned reaction of people as it seemed that all who met Hitler were left speechless by him - as was the case when he refused to be interviewed by a newspaper man.

The programme was also unusual in that it featured briefly the original founder of the Nazi party, Anton Drexler. - LD Wilson, Guisborough.