Sir, - Your correspondent, Mr Lee Norgate (D&S, Aug 4), appears to be waging a vendetta against the small groups of aviation enthusiasts who have an interest in the location and recording of wartime air crash sites.

An aspect Mr Norgate failed to reveal in his letter is the help that the small groups can be to relatives of the aircrew who died, providing accurate information on the location of the site and more importantly, details of the burial places of the aircrew from their research material.

These groups have also been responsible for the erection of small memorials to the lost aircrews on some sites. Some relatives and friends have also been escorted with the permission of the landowners concerned, to the crash site in order that they may pay their respects.

Regarding authority to visit sites, these groups are aware of the requirement involving landowners, and also the requirements of the Ministry of Defence prior to excavating any site.

We stress the word "excavating", because the MoD will only grant a licence to dig when the site has been identified by means of a six-figure grid reference, which obviously cannot be established without visiting the site.

KEN REAST

Back Lane,

Sowerby,

Thirsk.

A sorry sight

Sir, - Twelve members of the North Riding Constabulary died in the 1914-18 war and their colleagues paid for a memorial plaque which was displayed in the entrance to the old headquarters on Racecourse Lane, Northallerton.

Six members of the force died in the 1939-45 war and their colleagues also paid for a plaque which was similarly displayed. In the mean time a plaque had been erected to the memory of Major Sir Robert Lister Bower who was chief constable of the force from 1898 to 1929.

When the headquarters of the North Yorkshire Police moved to Newby Wiske Hall some years ago these plaques were removed and displayed in the entrance to the hall.

But when the entrance to Newby Wiske Hall was recently refurbished the plaques were taken down. Designed for internal display vertically they are now relegated to a site in the gardens where they are displayed horizontally.

The other day I visited the site. It was a fine evening but some hours earlier it had rained heavily. All three plaques had some little water standing on them and they looked a sorry sight.

The men who died, their families and the members of the force who contributed to the memorials deserve better than this.

D F SEVERS

Retired chief superintendent, ex-member of the North Riding Constabulary

Borrowby Avenue,

Northallerton.

Protect your dog

Sir, - I would just like to warm all dog owning readers that regular vaccination is essential to keep their dogs fit and healthy.

At the NCDL Darlington Rehoming Centre we have several dogs taken to us who are suffering from a highly infectious disease called parvovirus enteritis. This disease causes the dog much pain, and if often fatal, especially to young puppies.

Diseases such as parvovirus are easily preventable through immunisation. I urge all dog owners to have their dogs vaccinated and have an annual booster, it could save your dog's life.

CATHERINE GILLIE

NCDL

Darlington Rehoming Centre.

Recycle it

Sir, - Nicholas Rhea gets my back up with his daft suggestion (D&S, July14) that we should burn excess packaging on garden bonfires or in homes - a "cure" that's worse than the disease.

Cardboard and other unglazed paper, including newspaper, is easily biodegradable; anybody having a garden can compost it rather than burn it to the annoyance of neighbours. This saves filling the refuse bin with it.

Plastic is worse to burn on open fires. It gives off a stomach-churning stink which is said by fire brigades to be toxic and, as plastics don't burn except in company with other combustibles, they leave a residue which in some countries are recyclable as hard-wearing, substantial and rot-proof garden furniture.

Apart from concern about landfill should there not be some about the enormous cost of collecting all this unnecessary rubbish and carting it to the sites, which Nicholas seems to have overlooked, but it might shake him if he knew how much per ton it costs. I don't know the present day cost but about 20 years ago it was £25, courtesy of Leicestershire council, which was much concerned about it then and was a pioneer in the provision of home-composting methods. If all of us who could would compost our organic rubbish it might save us something on our council tax, which we never cease moaning about, and it might lighten the pressure on landfill? Forbye: are the "excess" items he mentions really excess?

R LEWIS

Dennison Crescent,

Birtley