THERE are two separate disputes causing strikes at Arriva Trains Northern. The conductors' dispute is about a pay rise, and our station staff are in dispute because of a commitment Arriva made to them in 2000, but never fulfilled.

Arriva is offering a four per cent increase to conductors and the same to station staff - if they give up the promised restructuring.

Arriva Trains Northern made profits of £11.5m. The chief executive has a total pay package of over £540,000 a year. Arriva's train drivers recently got an 18 per cent increase.

When you see how favourably others have been treated, it's no surprise that, in secret ballots, 95 per cent of our members voted for something better.

Arriva management then imposed a rest day working ban on conductors, which hurts our members financially and causes passengers to wait for trains that are not coming. Annual leave has been restricted because the company cannot staff its trains due to the ban on rest day working.

We will re-ballot our conductors on any settlement that brings their pay into line with colleagues doing the same job. All Arriva has to do to solve the station staff dispute is stick to its earlier promises. - Stan Herschel, Regional Organiser, National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers.

THANKS

I WOULD like to thank the lady who drove me to the A& E department of the University Hospital in Durham on July 5.

We had just left the cinema on North Street when I trod on a loose paving stone and injured my ankle. This matter has been brought to the attention of both the county and city councils, as it appears to me, while hobbling on crutches around the city, that maintenance of cobbles and paving stones has been neglected. I sincerely hope a repair programme is swiftly put into place. - Elsie Simons, Sheringham, Norfolk.

MALLON

IF Ray Mallon believes that his opponents have set out to destroy his credibility (Echo, July 12) he should sue. But no, Mr Mallon couldn't bear taxpayers to foot the bill.

This is highly commendable, but political expediency also probably comes into his decision not to sue. He is forever on about not wasting taxpayers' money and this is the best example he can set.

Personally, I would have sued. Mr Mallon's life must have been hell, let alone those of his wife and family, during this protracted case. - Alfred H Lister, Guisborough.

ROYAL MAIL

SO we are going to lose our second delivery of first-class post - so what? I have never received one. To improve the postal service, ban all junk mail. Half of the letters that I receive are unsolicited. This would also reduce the amount of waste paper. - Ann Carr, Middleton St George, Darlington.

REFUGEES

THIS spinning Government is being spun once more by the French on the refugee problem.

It is our problem to stop them entering, not theirs.

Now Labour has decided we have enough refugees for the time being. It's about time Labour considered the electorate before the writing is on the wall. - T Johnson, Middlesbrough.

THE A66

WHY blame the A66 for the pile-ups? It is reasonably straight except for a little bit around Greta Bridge and the Morritt Arms. The remainder is undulating.

I have been very well acquainted with this road since the late 1920s, tar spraying it and numerous minor roads branching from it. I was the last person to tar spray the old A1 by steam machines from Catterick to Boroughbridge, using two gritting machines.

The traffic in those days was nothing like it is today, but it is the impatient driver that makes it a bad road, so please don't blame the road. - Percy Dabbs, Bedale.

DARLINGTON

WHEN will Darlington have a decent live music venue? Since the closure of The Filibuster and Firkin in Skinnergate, I have had to travel to Middlesbrough and York to attend decent gigs.

The Darlington Arts Centre is a good venue but, regretfully, only books blues and folk artists.

I am 30 and I do not like this kind of music. Let's have a venue which will attract top outfits like Oasis to the town before we all fall asleep. The football stadium would do for starters. - Christopher Wardell, Darlington.

ROYALTY

A PYLE stated: "No one wants a divorced woman anywhere near the throne of England." (HAS, July 16.) Since previous occupants of the throne have included lunatics, idiots, homosexuals, despots, psychopaths, megalomaniacs, mass-murderering religious fanatics that make the Taliban and al Qaida look like amateurs, then heaven forbid that something so noble should become tainted by a woman who divorced to be with the man she loves. - C MacArt, Spennymoor.

IRELAND

THE apology by the IRA, though taken with caution, is a welcome sign of hope. However, before we all plant our flags in the moral high ground, we should all remember that we only see the Troubles as far back as 1969. If we look further back, we not only see our own bloodied hands, but realise that the same monsters we condemn are those we created. - HE Smith, Spennymoor.

JUMPING HORSE

THE pictures of Sonora Carver leaping on horseback from the 40ft high ramp (Echo, July 10) are enough to make one gasp in amazement and horror. It is a sure indication of how times have changed when you realise such a stunt would not be allowed today. Quite right too. It is one thing for a human to risk life and limb doing reckless things, but making a horse do so would now be seen as a gross cruelty. - EA Moralee, Billingham.