Hear all sides

TWO adjoining news items (Echo, July 4) made interesting thoughts about justice, how blind it can be.

One was about Barry George who was found guilty of murdering Jill Dando. The jury was not to know of his previous conviction because that would not give him a fair trial and would have affected their decision.

The other was about Slobodan Milosevic on trial by the UN Court of Justice to see if he was responsible for thousands of deaths. So does anyone really believe he is innocent, the whole world knows all the details as there was world-wide coverage in all news media.

Even now in his own country, is there even a remote chance that he will be found not guilty?

Of course there won't be a jury spending days in a hotel to come to a conclusion. - E Reynolds, Wheatley Hill.

BONFIRES

IT is a hot, humid morning. I have opened all my doors and windows to allow a through draught. I notice that my neighbours and the houses opposite have done the same.

Unfortunately, the morning is spoiled by the thoughtlessness of another neighbour who has started a garden bonfire. It is, needless to say, well away from his house, but I cannot see the bottom of my garden through the drifting black smoke and later I shall have to clean the windows.

It is not necessary to burn garden rubbish. The binmen will take a sack once a week - or it can be bagged and taken to the tip. If you must have a fire, why not wait until after 9.30pm when the smoke will cause least nuisance.

I reckon that summer brings out the selfishness in people - blaring radios, barbecues, etc. Do you think you could start one of your campaigns? - Name and address supplied.

ANDREW LIGHTFOOT

I THOUGHT I'd share a personal development with your good paper.

As from Independence Day, I have abandoned the use of my former name of Andrew James Lightfoot and adopted the new name of Aled Phelim Jones.

This is by a Deed Poll which will later be enrolled in the Central Office of the Supreme Court of Deeds and advertised in the London Gazette. It all means, sadly, that you won't be receiving any more correspondence from that young scallywag Andrew Lightfoot. The good news, though, is that you will now be getting letters from Aled Jones, which is nice. And lots of them too, on all the main topics of the day.

Naturally, as you can imagine, it's been a very difficult decision for me to make and a lot of soul searching has gone into it. But at the end of the day, I believe it's the right decision and I hope you'll still be able to publish my letters, albeit under my new appellation.

Signing off for the last time. - Andrew Lightfoot, Bridlington.

SWEARING

AS a young child, I was given a lesson about swearing. I was told that using swear words betrayed the lack of knowledge and demonstrated a restricted vocabulary.

I was asked to think about the risk of losing the right kind of friends; to consider how swearing might influence a potential employer or hamper promotion. Swearing might deny access to influential people who help one another throughout life. The head and staff of the Callington Community College (Echo, July 3) might yet think again to add to their considerable experience. - Thomas Cockeram, Barwick-in-Elmet, Leeds.

SHOT AT DAWN

DURING the First World War, many servicemen suffered shell shock. These brave servicemen (some as young as 16) were executed by the British authorities for supposed desertion and cowardice.

Research has shown that a large number of executed servicemen were from the North of England.

Please try to imagine what these brave young men and boys were suffering from sights they had witnessed at the front line. They also may have been injured physically.

In the very early years of the 20th Century shell shock was not recognised as it is today. Research years later proved these men were ill. We are now almost one century on from the First World War and the Prime Minister and his Government still refuse to grant these heroic young men and boys a pardon.

The Government has shown compassion to hardened terrorists who have murdered many people, including young children, when they release them from lengthy jail sentences, yet they cannot show compassion to these tragic, but very brave, servicemen of nearly a century ago. - Sandra, Baynham, Shot At Dawn Campaign. Shildon.

WHEATLEY HILL

WITH reference to letters in local papers, I would like those people who sent remarks stating the state of Wheatley Hill village, to read what is being done by residents.

Since the collieries closed, things have deteriorated, for example, unemployment among the younger generation which may be the cause of thefts and burglaries.

However, there are groups of residents who are giving a lot of time to bring about change.

The community centre is being upgraded. There is a fitness centre, a junior football team, a computer room, a drop-in every Friday, a drama group, health and fitness, watercolour painting and other classes; a tea dance is being arranged and there is also going to be a play park in the CLU grounds.

These achievements all take money which has to be raised by applying to businesses and local authorities, the parish council and the Lottery fund.

The police are also helping, along with our council which is doing its best with demolition, grass cutting, and planting flowers, bushes and trees. In time, and with resources, it will get it back to being a village to be proud of as it was in bygone days. - S Hodson, Wheatley Hill.