31/08/2005

My partner is an Arriva bus driver and these pub toilets were a life saver for those drivers when the Market Place conveniences were closed for refurbishment.

Even now, there's no provision for Darlington, or out-of-town service drivers on an evening once the Market Place toilets close. A lot of the shifts, even the around town ones, involve four or five hour stints.

Why is no-one, including the bus company and the pub, considering "comfort breaks" for the drivers?

In these days of security cameras on buses even a wide-necked bottle isn't an option... though it never was for the women drivers. - Name and address supplied

I WAS recently enjoying a refreshment in the Nags Head in Darlington when I noticed that on the gents' toilet door there is a sign asking bus drivers not to use the toilet on the premises.

These bus drivers sit outside the pub windows every day, leaving their carton cups and cigarette dumps on the window sill and use the toilet whenever they wish.

Could I let them know that there is a public toilet 100 yards up the road at the Indoor Market? From now on, myself and the other locals of the Nags Head urge these bus drivers to use that toilet and leave their fag ash and rubbish elsewhere.

They are becoming bigger pests than the summertime wasps. - Christopher Wardell, Darlington.

PROUD OF MY SON

RE: your article "Families of Iraq Soldiers Challenge Blair" (Echo, Aug 18).

It gives the impression that all of the families of "The Six" Royal Military Policemen who died on June 20, 2003 in Al Majar Al Kabir were against the war and support an inquiry into the legality of the conflict. This is not the case.

My son, Lance Corporal Ben Hyde, one of "The Six", was a soldier who went to Iraq because that's where the Army sent him, to do the job he'd been trained to do. He did not have any strong feelings about the legal aspect of what he was expected to do. He felt that the world, and in particular Iraq, would be a better place without Saddam Hussein.

During his 23 years in power, Saddam Hussein was responsible for the deaths of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of people. To the minds of most people, a very valid reason for his removal from power.

That day in Al Majar Al Kabir, our sons were not involved in any aggressive action, they were re-training Iraqi police, teaching them how to maintain law and order by gaining respect.

We all deal with our grief in different ways and that is something that must be respected, but nothing will bring our sons back and nothing anyone can say or do can ease the pain we feel at their loss. When Ben went into Iraq, his concerns were not political, what concerned Ben, in his own words, to his platoon Staff Sergeant was: "If we get attacked, or if fighting or something happens, will we know what to do, how will I react, or will I freeze?".

We know from the evidence that "The Six" showed extraordinary courage. I know that should the time come that I meet my son again, I will be proud to say "Yes son, you did it right". - John A Hyde, Northallerton.

LONDON SHOOTING

IT WAS totally predictable that Charles Clarke and Tony Blair would defend the indefensible actions of the Metropolitan Police chief in the killing of the unfortunate Jean Charles de Menezes.

How many times in your own life have you experienced authority always defending authority even when fault is obvious?

Dig a little hole and before long you are up to your neck in it.

Would it not have been much better to say, "Sorry, we got it wrong".

Of course politicians never say sorry, even when thousands are murdered by their policies. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

OUTDATED SPORT

THE question was asked (HAS, Aug 12) can shooting survive as a sport?

There is so much cruelty and killing on shooting estates it would be a good thing if it did not survive.

At the end of the day it is mainly for entertainment. How anyone can derive pleasure from this so-called sport is beyond my understanding.

What goes on in the countryside all year round with traps and snares does not warrant the pleasure that some get from what I would consider to be a disgusting sport, if that is what you wish to call it, taking into account all the suffering and killing of innocent creatures.

Phil Drabble, the countryman of One Man And His Dog fame, wrote a book called No Badgers In My Wood and refers to badgers which he has found in snares and, I quote, "The experiences have filled me with implacable hatred for these barbarous snares which also catch deer and sheep by the leg and dogs and cats and other wildlife".

A leaflet from the RSPCA and the National Anti-Snaring Campaign shows the horrific injures to animals with snares around their bodies, often resulting in painful and long, lingering deaths. There is so much more to be said as this is only the tip of a very big iceberg.

I, for one, would be very glad to see an end to this outdated, barbaric "sport" and may I add I have lived in the countryside next to moorland all of my life. - Brenda Scragg, Bishop Auckland.

COATHAM PLANS

YOU must admire Chris McGlade in his campaign to legally challenge Redcar and Cleveland Council over its proposed redevelopment of Coatham Enclosure in Redcar (Echo, Aug 19).

As an individual, it takes a person of strong beliefs to go to the extreme of putting his £80,000 house up for sale to legally challenge a council's decision. As he quite rightly stated, all the land involved has covenants restricting its use to leisure only.

Councillor Vera Moody, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, has stated the go-ahead for the proposals is great news for the people of Coatham, Redcar and the whole of the borough.

I have yet to speak to one local who is in favour of this development going ahead.

I, as well as 150 other families, own caravans on Redcar Beach Park (Coatham area) which will be directly affected by the proposed redevelopment, which will devastate the lives of all the families. - Ray Vincent, Darlington.

NAKED RAMBLERS

IN this day and age I don't think anyone would raise an eyebrow or give a hoot about these naked ramblers.

They are just exhibitionists anyway. What I do object to is them plonking their bare bottoms on furniture in the hostels or pubs they stay at - most unhygienic!

I believe one pub which accommodated them was the Tan Hill near Richmond in North Yorkshire. - Mrs M Elliott, Darlington.