Sir, - The clerk to Northallerton Town Council, Mrs Sheila Gibbins, should have a look in her own information window. The names of members of the town council are on display with the names of the amenities committee. Coun Steve Merritt is shown on both lists, eight months after we are now told that he has left the council! This information was also on display in the town library as recently as Saturday, February 10.

The hapless Mrs Gibbins goes on to say that the decision to ban the people of Northallerton from using the town hall toilets had nothing to do with the amenities committee. She should look at her own press releases. The D&S Times' own Helen Miller clearly stated in the recent article that "The town council took its decision at a meeting of its amenities committee".

Mrs Gibbins might just make a clerk, but a spin doctor for Coun Jack Dobson, I think not! Let him talk his own way out of this public relations disaster. Just for once, Coun Dobson and his colleagues on the town council had an opportunity to help people in need. They have failed miserably. They have let both the town down and themselves.

While Coun Dobson and the council await their political fate at the next local elections, they might like to dwell on the words of St Luke, Chapter 10, V 29 starting with the words "And who is my neighbour?"

We have, over the years, come to expect absolutely nothing from Hambleton District Council, the root cause of this problem, but we had expected something better from you.

ANDREW NAYLOR

Bramley Cottage

Welbury

Northallerton.

History is

against you

Sir, - I refer to the pro-fox hunting letters of Keith Carley, Christopher Curtis and Maurice Newble (D&S, Feb 9). It appears that these men have an arrogant disregard for the wishes of the vast majority of people of this nation and to democracy.

Every poll taken to date has shown 75pc of people are against fox hunting. Maybe if they still have their copy of the D&S I would draw their attention to page 10 where it is stated that some farmers in the Scorton area are reluctant to allow the Bedale Hunt across their land and to page 17 where it is reported that the York and Ainsty Hunt terrorised villagers with their hounds running amok though gardens.

Mr Carley's comments on citizen's arrests are rather naive. Obviously it would be impractical to "arrest" a whole hunt. However, when other anti-social behaviour is being quelled, such as football hooligans and drunken lager louts, the leader(s) are taken out. Do I really have to draw a picture, Mr Carley? In any event it is purely a hypothesis because when it is seen that thousands of people throughout the country are prepared to ensure that the law of the land is enforced, the police will have no alternative but to act.

I respectfully suggest Mr Newble reads my letter again. I made no reference whatsoever to "engaging a camera man to take blood curdling scenes of devastation". Where Mr Newble dreamt this erroneous fact from is indicative of the points he makes in his letter, which is full of holes and bankrupt of tangible facts.

It is just a matter of time before fox hunting is banned. History is full of events where the will of the majority of the people has been ignored to the detriment of those who chose to ignore such a will. So, foxhunters, you have no chance because society is against you.

TREVOR NICHOLSON

Mill Lane,

Leeming.

Kindest kill

Sir, - We are very privileged to live in a time when, through some truly amazing camera work, there are many vivid wildlife programmes on television every week.

During these programmes we get to see many different species making their kills in their everyday way of life, whether lions with antelope, a wolf pack taking a buffalo, or a crocodile drowning a wildebeest in a river, plus many more too numerous to mention, and all shown in extremely graphic detail.

If all these kills were compiled on to one film and at the end of it a pack of hounds catching a fox, I can with confidence say that the latter would not only be the quickest and cleanest kill, but also the one with the least suffering. Let huntsmen continue to control a species in a way that is nearest to the one that nature itself uses.

JOE TOWNSEND

Hurworth Kennels,

West Rounton,

Northallerton.