JOURNEY WOES: EARLIER this year and for many years before, the Arriva bus service 723 ran from Darlington to Newcastle and the journey time was less than two hours. This service now terminates at Durham.

A new timetable effective from July 31 indicates "a twice hourly express facility via service X1 to Newcastle".

The problem is that this X1 service departs four minutes before the 723 arrives in Durham and a wait of 26 minutes ensues. Journey time via Arriva Darlington to Newcastle is therefore now two hours 23 minutes.

I wrote to Arriva four weeks ago querying this matter, but have received no response to date. Perhaps they themselves are finding it hard to reconcile this poor scheduling of services.

The Arriva bus company dominates all services in the Darlington and Newton Aycliffe area. If the company had more competition it might pay more attention to passengers' opinions and requirements. - E Marshall, Darlington.

LUCKY SHEEP

RECENTLY at about 8.30pm, I was travelling from Bishop Auckland to Barnard Castle in a friend's car. An oncoming car flashed us and we slowed down. Thanks to that car we stopped and didn't collide with the three sheep in the middle of the road.

They were very difficult to see as sheep generally aren't reflective.

Sadly, other motorists were not so sensible. I ran to the nearest farm but it transpired they were not their sheep. Nevertheless, the farmer and his wife came out to round the sheep up.

We were running along the roadside trying to catch them. Despite my waving arms and the hazards warning lights on two cars, which were also flashing their headlights, cars and lorries continued to overtake and speed towards us. One car which overtook realised something was wrong and stopped with us, putting his flashers on and warning with his headlights.

A car approaching, when flashed, actually put on his full beam and just sped past, blinding us all in the process.

We were trying to prevent a nasty accident and save three sheep, which we eventually did. I just can't put into words what we felt towards those reckless idiots who flew along that stretch of road with no regard for their own lives, never mind ours.

Next time someone flashes them I hope they think first - there may be something dangerous ahead. It could save their lives or at least that of some poor sheep. - K Harris, Barnard Castle.

STATION BRIDGE

HAVING lived in Bishop Auckland all my life, I am dismayed that, on the approach to the Station Bridge from Cockton Hill, the first thing you notice is the deplorable state of the steelwork with the flaking paint.

Could we have a facelift like the new wall which was built at Gibb Chair on approach to the Market Place?

With all the unemployment around, surely we could benefit with some of these people doing the work on this and other similar jobs. - J Race, Bishop Auckland.

FOOTBALL VALUES

I REGARD the enormous (and outrageous) value that society places on footballers as extremely sad.

I am appalled that Newcastle United have been allowed by banks to get themselves into such enormous debt (£48m).

Presumably, other football clubs are in a similar position, but it is not at all sensible and it should not be allowed.

I think that the world should wake up. - David Fairer, Darlington.

BAD NEWS

WHAT a plethora of bad news we have had recently.

In the North-East alone we have had murders, suicides and many other incidents to bring misery to many people.

The flooding of New Orleans is horrendous and has brought out everything that is good in humans and everything that is awful.

The ongoing debacle in Iraq does nothing to ease the situation and the Tories have been handed a lifeline at the entry of Ken Clarke into the race for the Tory leadership.

Will they have the good sense to elect him? Tony Blair will be hoping he does not succeed.

Finally, we have the ludicrous spectacle of 15,000 Newcastle supporters welcoming Michael Owen to Tyneside while, no doubt, his agent will have been screwing the last pound out of this desperate football club in the hope that he can score a few goals.

The events in Western society are entirely predictable because everything that is spiritual is being sacrificed on the altar of rampant capitalism. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

BRAVE SON

RE: your article, Detective praised for defeating crime ring (Echo, Aug 24). How very brave of the detective in question to handle this situation all by himself. But isn't this what he gets paid for? I was very confused by this article, as it was my son who was using the cashpoint and found the sophisticated scanning device. He was confronted by these two men who tried to take the device from him.

He detained one of the suspects and asked for the help of a passer-by who turned out to be the detective, and both my son and the detective caught the two men.

My son has saved the bank thousands of pounds and he never even got a thank-you from the bank or a mention in your article.

It is all about the sharp-eyed detective, but isn't that his job? My son's life could have been at risk from these men. - Mrs AR Collins, Bishop Auckland.

TERRORIST SQUIRRELS

THIS year has seen our garden populated with more wild birds than usual. The "spuggies" finches, etc have more than doubled. We also had a family of blue-tits. Sadly, they have all gone now.

The bird and animal kingdoms have their own terrorists in the form of the grey squirrel.

One frequents our garden and "snakes" up and down the hedge in a thorough search, taking my strawberries and tree fruits, including every berry from my pampered shrub, Daphne. He also caused Mrs Blackbird to seek other accommodation after just finishing her spring nest.

Is there anything this "pushy" American asylum seeker may be put off by?

Our red squirrel is so sophisticated and dainty compared to this fellow. - Irene Littlejohns, Tow Law.

TIME FOR CHANGE

THERE are two changes needed for England to qualify for the World Cup finals in Germany next year.

One is for Stuart Pearce to replace Sven Goran Eriksson as manager. The other is to drop David Beckham in favour of Shaun Wright-Phillips.

I would like to see Stuart Pearce remain at Manchester City and manage the national team on a part-time basis.

His pride, passion and direct footballing brain could make us go much further than where we are under the guidance of Eriksson.

It is time for a change and that time is now. Stockholm misses you, Mr Eriksson. It is time for you to go home. - Christopher Wardell, Darlington.