15/05/03

Yes, I value the possessions I have worked hard over many years to accumulate, certainly more than the life of a scummy little burglar.

You get nothing in this country for your labours after taxes, working long hours for low pay, if you are the type who tries to pay your way honestly.

When he trespassed into Tony Martin's property, he should have lost all the rights he would have had.

This country always valued assets more than lives, that's why bank robbers like Ronnie Biggs got a longer prison sentence than many murderers get these days.

It's bleeding heart do-gooders who have allowed society to sink to a level where pensioners dare not go out at night. Violent scum are allowed to walk the streets at night, and mug them for a pittance. What value on a decent pensioner's life?

How did Tony Martin know, when the gang of thieves entered his home, he was not about to become a murdered corpse, waiting to be discovered? Just like many elderly folk are these days, in their own homes. - Brian Foster, Darlington.

YOU ask under the photo of Tony Martin (HAS, May 13) do his supporters value property more than a life?

Well really, it's a daft question because it depends on whose property and whose life. I think most sensible and responsible people, weighing their own property and quite possibly their safety too, against the life of a young career criminal like Fred Barras, would unhesitatingly prefer the former and placed in the same situation as Tony Martin was in react exactly as he did, providing they had his guts. - T Kelly, Crook.

BRITISH law allows the use of minimum force, even lethal force, in self-defence. On this basis, householders have been cleared of all blame after killing or injuring burglars.

I have some sympathy for Tony Martin, but the fact is that he shot an unarmed intruder in the back as he ran away from his house, then shut the door and left him to bleed to death outside. By no stretch of the imagination could that be construed as self-defence.

If British law were to sanction the routine use of firearms by ordinary citizens in defence of their property, no burglar would go about his nefarious business unarmed; and when householder confronted intruder, each would try to kill the other first. This is what happens in the US, where homicide rates involving firearms are about 35 times higher than in the UK.

Those who call for a change in the law claim to speak for the victim rather than the criminal, but if their recommendations were followed, the result would be more violence, more crime and more victims. - Pete Winstanley, Durham.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

WHO fought to make freedom of thought, speech and belief a right? Who obtained the vote, descent housing, safe working environments and an education for all in Britain?

Who first spoke out against British support for Adolf Hitler? Who created the NHS and the Welfare State? Who condemned American support for Northern Irish terrorists?

Who spoke out against the torture and murder of people by Pinochet, Saddam and other monsters supported by America and Britain?

Who led the movement to end apartheid in South Africa and racial segregation in America?

Who warned America about the consequences of its dubious foreign polices? Who protested as the East Timorese were being butchered by British-made tanks and aircraft? Who protested when America stopped the UN from taking action to prevent genocide in Rwanda? Who protested against atrocities committed against the people of China and Tibet, whilst the Queen and Tony Blair dined with the leader of China?

Who foretold that America would do after Iraq exactly what it is now doing after Iraq?

Answer: the very same liberal do-gooders and loony lefties who Peter Mullen (Echo, May 13) described as illiterate, ill-educated and unpatriotic noises. - CT Riley, Spennymoor.

EUROPE

I FEEL I have to reply to the letter (HAS, May 10) from Coun Anderson.

His letter was deeply offensive to English people. How dare he call us xenophobes and Little Englanders?

What is wrong in wanting to keep the pound which has served us well for hundreds of years?

Joining Europe has been the biggest mistake of all time. Since then we have steadily seen the disappearance of our heavy industries, fishing and a lot more.

It is not us who are isolationist, more that we have become isolated because of politicians like Coun Anderson and his vitriolic outburst.

Why shouldn't we be proud of our heritage and our glorious past? Europe has nothing to offer us except more ridiculous regulations and laws, insidiously eroding our way of life.

No doubt the councillor will be glad to see our wonderful English counties disbanded into provinces of the European Union. - Rachael Hunter, Stockton.

SUNDERLAND FC

ONCE again we see Peter Reid landing a new job at a football club. All I can say is heaven help Leeds.

Mr Reid says he left Sunderland a legacy. He certainly did. A legacy of second rate footballers, over-paid and over-rated.

The chairman, also, is not blameless. This state-of-the-art training ground is no good to the fans. If as much care and effort had been paid to players we would not be relegated again.

Mick McCarthy has a big job on his hands as Peter Reid has left Sunderland in a worse state than when he arrived player-wise, and that takes some doing. - M Angus, Brough.