VANDALISM

I READ with great interest the vague attempt at amateur psychology provided on your front page (Echo, Dec 5) by Councillor Bill Waters. Does he really believe that saying he will stop the Shildon regeneration will in any way deter the vandals plaguing us? I cannot believe anyone holding public office can be so naive.

The yobs will treat his words as a challenge and do their best to cause even more chaos and damage. The yobs are unlikely to care about the regeneration plans.

Instead we should be looking at the other issue here. Why has the town spent a vast amount of money on CCTV cameras that apparently do not provide images of vandals going about their nasty business while in direct line of sight?

Shildon Police Station is even just around the corner, for heaven's sake! Shildon has one of the highest council tax bills in the area and what are we getting for our money? A non-functional CCTV system and some part-time police officers it would seem. Nothing terribly useful.

If indeed the Regeneration Committee is serious in its threat and does plan to "pull the plug" on the railway museum, then I suggest that we need new councillors representing our interests and not ones that scream and take away their toys at the slightest hint of trouble. - Stephen Nicholson, Shildon.

COUNCILLOR Bill Waters (Echo, Dec 5) needs to ask himself a few questions before examining the vandalism problem in Shildon town square.

How does he know the yobs are from Shildon? If he knows, why have they not been arrested? If he doesn't know, what has happened to the surveillance cameras? If they recorded the incident, why have the culprits not been arrested and identified? Was no one watching the monitor when it was happening? Has the proposed museum project become an embarrassment and now someone has a hidden agenda?

Will we still hear people making excuses for vandalism by complaining that there are not sufficient facilities in the town?

The ratepayers need answers and, above all, action. - Walter Nunn, Hon Alderman, Shildon.

RICHARD NEALE

BARRY Nelson (Echo, Nov 21) referred to campaigners reacting furiously to news that a suspended consultant Neil Hebblethwaite is unlikely to face prosecution. This referred to members of the Action and Support Group for Medical Victims of Richard Neale.

As I was a member and had not been approached for my views about this matter by Graham Maloney, I wish to be disassociated from this article.

I have nothing but respect for Mr Hebblethwaite as a doctor and surgeon, and he has been responsible for helping and putting right some of Richard Neale's mistakes. And I know many of his other patients share my views. - Audrey Pitchforth, Northallerton.

RAILWAY HERITAGE

IN his letter (Echo, Nov 26) regarding where the proposed siting of the Railway Heritage Centre should be, Councillor Smailes of Stockton once again, as Stocktonians invariably do, brings up the question of the birthplace of the railways. He backs up his argument for Stockton by asking readers from Darlington to read the history books which would substantiate the fact that the first passenger railway ran between Stockton and Darlington, and not the other way around.

I took it upon myself to search out the said history books and where better, I thought, than Stockton library. I came across A Regional History of British Railways (Vol 4, North-East) and on page 117 was confronted with the following information:

"After the wagons were transported from Etherley to Shildon, they were attached to Locomotion No 1 at Masons Arms Crossing at Shildon. The first train on the first public steam worked railway set off for Stockton, which was reached in mid afternoon."

These quotes from the history book suggest surely that the birthplace of the railways is Etherley. But as the complete train of carriages and engine left from Shildon, then Stockton was the end of the line.

The readers from Etherley and Shildon don't need to take part in this correspondence. They know the answer to it all. - Colin Agnew, Darlington.

HO-HO-HOMES

I HAVE always admired your paper for its sensible stance on the environment issues, and its Eco supplement.

But I see you are running a competition to see who can waste the most electricity and cheap plastic components in the name of Christmas.

You even encourage people to travel miles to see these tasteless displays, which is another contribution to the greenhouse effect and flooding and freak weather of all sorts.

It is a pity energy wasters cannot be prosecuted not praised. Don't encourage them in a once responsible newspaper. - M Burns, Blackhall.

NEWCASTLE GREATS

IF I were to be asked who was Newcastle United's greatest-ever striker, my answer would be Jackie Milburn (Echo, Nov 29). He was a schoolboy hero of mine. I remember reading in newspapers the build-up to the Newcastle v Blackpool FA Cup final at Wembley in 1951 and it was most exciting.

Milburn scored some great goals for Newcastle and was a member of England's very first World Cup squad in 1950.

He was due to play in a Middlesbrough v Newcastle match at Ayresome Park in the early 1950s, but was ruled out through injury.

He was a widely respected figure and, when he died in 1988, the occasion was marked on national radio and television. - LD Wilson, Guisborough.

I STUDIED the all-time greats of Newcastle (Echo, Nov 29) and I must pick Peter Beardsley.

He was schemer ball player made and scored goals. When I was talking to a young Hartlepool player, Ian Clarke, about what's it like to play with Peter Beardsley, the lad said: "Magic". - Jimmy Hall, Billingham.