Letters

IT'S touching to see Prince William mucking in like the rest of us. PR par excellence. He must be the most privileged toilet cleaner in the world.

A couple of years doing the essential menial tasks and living entirely on the minimum wage would be even better for public morale.

In any egalitarian Utopia somebody has to do the dirty jobs and every able person should take their turn at it without exception.

All good fun when you don't have to do it for a living, but nobody should be condemned to such a working life. If everybody had to do their stint there would soon be mass movement for the reduction of menial toil to a minimum and technology would be harnessed to do it. Unshackled from monetary considerations, of course.

In the meantime, it's as you were: the king in his castle and the poor man at his gate, fixing it. - Maurice Jordan, Newton Aycliffe.

EUROPE

IN recent weeks all we have heard from the anti-European is hysterical talk of "superstates" and "European armies".

With the end of the Nice Summit we now see that all their hysteria has proved to be false and misguided.

The final treaty presented to the public shows that Britain and all other members of the European Union have gained from the talks. This outcome must surely end the myth that the EU is a burgeoning "superstate".

The treaty negotiations put paid to the myth that the EU is heading towards tax harmonisation. The UK, as with all other member states, has retained its veto on proposals relating to tax and social security policy.

Nice has allowed the EU to enlarge to the East - a project vital to the peace and prosperity of our continent, and which will create a single market of 500 million consumers.

At Nice anti-European scare stories have been destroyed left, right and centre. The re-weighting of votes in the Council of Ministers, the retention of the veto in areas of crucial national interest and the move for a further conference in four years time strictly and explicitly to limit EU centralisation expose anti-Europeans as the myth-rakers and scaremongers that they are. - Nick Milligan, Regional Organiser, European Movement in the North East.

FOX HUNTING

STOCKTON North MP Frank Cook (Echo, Dec 11), who has foxes in his back garden in London, advocates a total ban on fox hunting because "most of his constituents" and "most of the country" wants it. Who says so?

My wife and I recently visited one of our favourite country pubs, and we found ourselves in the midst of the Zetland Hunt, which has congregated there for a number of years. Judging by the weather, I would doubt that they even saw a fox, never mind caught one.

The thing that struck me wasn't the number of hounds, stirrup cups and the rest, but the amount of support needed from ordinary working people who are involved with the paraphenalia of running and organising the hunt.

It was interesting listening to the chat in the pub, about where they were going next, and why, and who had good horses etc.

The superficial assumptions that seem to be made to condemn fox hunting are not, in my eyes, any basis to stop such a long-standing heritage.

I think this Government would be well advised to listen to the rural community before doing anything rash. - SG Hodgson, Darlington.

ALBERT EDWARD DOCK

I AM researching the history of the former Albert Edward dock in North Shields to use as the basis for a sculpture which will be installed in the dock of what is now known as the Royal Quays Marina. From approximately 1880 until just before the beginning of the Second World War, there was a substantial amount of coal passing directly through the Albert Edward dock, via a huge wooden staith/landing stage, which reached out into the deep water of the dock. There was a pair of entrance or dividing gates just inside the perimeter of the former dock.

My sculpture will take the form of a pair of large industrial metal gates, similar to the type which were found at the entrance to the dock, or to a 19th Century workplace, such as a shipyard or factory.

If anyone has any photographs, pictures or drawings, or even information relating to the original gates that led into the Albert Edward dock, could they please get in touch with me? - Stefan Gec, Art on the Riverside, North Tyneside Arts, Buddle Arts Centre, 158b Station Road, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, NE28 8RH.

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL

IN his column (Echo, Sept 5), Peter Mullen made some serious allegations regarding the policing of the Notting Hill Carnival, claiming the police turned a blind eye to all sorts of crime "for political reasons" or because they were afraid to arrest black suspects in the wake of the Macpherson Report.

I sent a copy of the article to the Metropolitan Police, inviting their comments.

I am informed that the prime consideration in policing such events must be public safety and the preservation of life. This may sometimes require that action is not taken immediately.

Also, arresting someone for a minor offence will take two officers out of commission while they take the suspect to the station and file reports.

None of this means that criminals get away with it. Notting Hill has a sophisticated CCTV system, and arrests are made after the event on the basis of video evidence. There was an 85 per cent increase in arrests at this year's carnival.

This has nothing to do with "political correctness" or the Macpherson Report. The policy long pre-dates the report.

While racism within the police force, and in society in general, remains a problem, the majority of police officers are doing an heroic job in difficult circumstances, and may face criticism whichever way they turn.

Ill-researched journalism does nothing to help. - Pete Winstanley, Chester-le-Street.