REFUGEES

FIRSAT Yildaz became the first refugee murdered in Britain. He was only 22 and had fled the racist persecution of Kurdish people in Turkey. Ultimately, Firsat's murder in Glasgow (Echo, Aug 8) is the responsibility of the thugs who carried it out, but this tragedy and the daily violent attacks suffered by refugees is the inevitable consequence of a co-ordinated racist campaign launched by Britain's tabloid press and mainstream politicians.

While the tabloids shed crocodile tears over the death of this young man, one should not forget how they have stirred the pot of hatred with lying, lurid stores of beggar refugees. Racist words lead to racist deeds and the family of Firsat Yildaz are now paying the price.

As the racist tabloids played the orchestra, the Tories and New Labour willingly danced to the tune by treating these victims of persecution as criminals. Ann Widdecombe advocated compulsory detention centres for people (including children) who had not committed any crime. New Labour politicians regularly used the word bogus and Jack Straw forced refugees to use food vouchers, thus making it much easier for racists and fascists to identify them.

You reap what you sow and the racist opportunism of Britain's tabloids and politicians has resulted in a terrible bloody harvest. - Name and address supplied.

SURELY it is time more urgent methods were used to prevent so many asylum seekers coming to Britain.

There are growing signs of unrest in our cities and towns where large numbers have been dispersed, but perhaps the most worrying trend is that reported (Echo, Aug 8) of children, some as young as eight, being sent unaccompanied to this country.

There is no way these children can claim to be political refugees - what serious political activity can they have been involved in? Nor can they be job-seekers. No matter how sorry for them a person may feel, there must be some rational thought given to the situation.

Should our country take on the responsibility to house, care for, educate and raise these children who have clearly been sent here by their own families who would appear to have cast them off, for whatever reason?

A halt must be called at some point. We have severe poverty among our own people in some areas and serious problems to solve as a country. Let's be sane and realise that enough is enough. Britain needs a breathing space to set her own house in order before she takes on any more of the overflow of problems from around the world. - EA Moralee, Billingham.

PROMS CONCERTS

ON This Day (Echo, Aug 10) says that the Promenade Concerts were founded by Henry Wood and Robert Newman in 1895.

They actually began in 1833 in Paris under conductor Philippe Musard and he conducted the first London Promenade concert at the Lyceum in 1838 - some 30 years before Wood was born.

In 1840, another Frenchman, Louis Jullien, gave a series of Proms in London from June 8 to August 15 at the Drury Lane Theatre. Jullien continued with Promenade concerts until his death in 1860, by which time they were no novelty in London and his concerts were a major factor in the popularisation of music.

Robert Newman engaged Henry Wood as conductor for a new series of Promenade Concerts in the Queen's Hall in 1895, so perhaps the fame given to Wood belonged to Newman - but the real founder of Promenade Concerts in London was Louis Jullien in 1840.

Wood was one of a series of conductors and he succeeded in reviving the tradition of Promenade Concerts in this country, but he was born in 1869 by which time the Prom was well-established on the British musical scene. - Ray Powlay, Brompton, Northallerton.

GNER

IT IS correct of Stephen Byers to apply more stick than carrot to the train operating companies (Echo, Aug 6). After all, they are in receipt of huge sums of public money, far more than British Rail. Therefore, they have a responsibility to operate reliable, clean, cost effective and safe services.

GNER was awarded only a two-year franchise, which reflects the poor service it has given. If GNER has not invested in the last five years, it surely will not in two, so why award GNER at all? Railtrack's improvements for the East Coast Mainline have collapsed. Under the circumstance what investment, if any, does GNER now have? Surely not more train hiring instead of buying?

It is surprising that The Northern Echo, normally on the edge of investigations and championing for the public, ignores the findings of various rail watchdog bodies and continues to campaign for a company operating below the standards expected. Cancellations, late running trains with expensive tickets were there before Hatfield. Should not the Echo be more pro-Byers with less bias? - CJ Blair, Darlington.