DEATH PENALTY RE. the article by Liz Lamb (Echo, Aug 21) about the Bishop of Durham speaking out against the return of the death penalty. He says to put the penalty back in place would be detrimental to society. I and many others have different views.

Is it also detrimental to society that an 84-year-old lady can be attacked and brutally injured for the sake of a fish supper or an old war veteran be subjected to horrible injuries for a few coppers, that a baby can be punched and thrown across the room and killed by a brute of a father who complains of not being able to sleep because the baby was crying. Then there's this awful tragedy in the village of Soham when two young girls are savagely murdered? It is time to bring back something. The whole world is angry about what happened at Soham, The whole world is crying about what happened at Soham. The scum who commit these atrocities are laughing at the legal system which is far too lenient, helped also by the people who dig deep to find loopholes in the law to enable these offenders to either go free or receive a relatively light punishment. - J. Reilly, Seaham.

ANOTHER two lives lost and we've never heard a word from the do-gooders. Until the 1950s, the hangman got a decent wage getting rid of the dregs of society. For the scum who have killed these two lovely girls, I would do it for free.

Yes mistakes were made and Timothy Evans paid with his life, but with modern science there are no mistakes. The laws we have now are not worth a bent penny. Even when these scum are caught, it's full board and lodgings for five to eight years. Bring back the rope for justice and the whip for the stupid do-gooders. - R Hedley, Bishop Auckland.

CYCLE NETWORK I WOULD like to take this opportunity of extending an invitation to your readers to support the work of Sustrans in you area. Sustrans - the sustainable transport charity - is responsible for co-ordinating the building of the National Cycle Network (NCN), currently covering 6,500 miles of the UK, with 10,000 miles planned for 2005. Sustrans is also supporting hundreds of Safe Routes to Schools initiatives, as well as a host of new projects aimed at easing transport congestion, making our streets safer and more pleasant whilst protecting our environment.

Sustrans offers bold, innovative, practical projects that make a real difference to our health and general quality of life. We need new supporters in your area in order to help us continue our work. Supporters provide us with the essential core funding that enables us to release money from government and non-government sources. Every £1 we receive from supporters helps us to release up to £26 which goes straight into a new stretch of NCN, supporting a Safe Route to School, etc.

Everyone who becomes a regular Sustrans supporter will receive details of our initiatives, a free map of the NCN in your locality, and updates on practical ways to actually get involved with our many activities. There are often opportunities to help develop new routes and schemes in your area to help your local community. You can join now by calling 0117 929 0888, email infosustrans. org.uk, or visit our website www.mstrans.org.uk, and we will send a free information pack to get you started. - Kevin Saunders, Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity.

INVADERS IN reply to the cop-out of Raby Castle's marketing supervisor Catherine Turnbull. If people are sneaking into the gardens and into the castle when admitted free of charge to the tea rooms and gift shop, the simple solution is a rubber stamp on the back of the hand, ie red for the castle, part and gardens or green for gardens only.

If the castle still can't cope with being invaded by visitors, I suggest they fill up the moat, pull down the drawbridge and get ready with the hot oil. - Name and address supplied.

RIVER FISH RE. salmon running the river Tees year 2001 (Echo, August 20). Yes, 168 fish were taken from the trap at the Tees barrage. The fish are all tagged, then released near the Newport Bridge area.

The area around the barrage has censors all around to record tagged fish. Only two fish have been registered. That's 166 fish still not accounted for. The answers are gone back out to sea, unable to pass the barrage or eaten by two resident seals that live at the lock.

There should be a meeting between anglers and the British waterways to help sort this problem out. When migratory fish decide to run, the last thing they want is a major obstruction like the barrage. If set up correctly, the Tees could match the Tyne, which is the best productive river in England. - RE Smith, Great Smeaton, Northallerton.

GREAT PEOPLE REALLY great persons are born to be great, they say. And as early as 16 years of age George Bernard Shaw was spotted by his office (land agents) associates as heading for greatness: One day you'll be a great man," GBS was told. And they were dead right.

And just you listen to what dramatist-writer GBS said about titles (Man and Superman): "Titles distinguish the mediocre, embarrass the superior, and are disgraced by the inferior."

Winston Churchill manifestly had something very special about him; and most certainly President Roosevelt thought this: "It is fun to be in the same decade with you," President Roosevelt roared to Winston on his 60th birthday.

And then there are Stanley Baldwin's remarks: "Then comes Winston Churchill with his hundred horse power mind and just what can I do?"

Nobody is ever likely to say this about President George Bush. - Alfred H Lister, Guisborough.