27/09/05

However, unlike walkers and horse-riders (who can claim footpaths and bridleways respectively on the basis of evidence of past use), it is unclear what kind of right of way, if any, will be claimable by cyclists.

The Government's impact assessment states that the Bill will "ensure that any future use of a route by non-mechanically propelled vehicles can give rise to restricted byway rights". But the Bill as drafted does not appear to achieve this for cyclists.

I therefore urge you to support amendments at the Third Reading on October 11 to ensure that the use of routes by cyclists leads to restricted byway rights.

This applies to past as well as future use - Ronald Healey, York.

GEORGE MERCER McKINLAY

I'M hoping you can help me. On July 12 1944 Pilot Officer George Mercer McKinlay from Gateshead crashed and died at Newhaven after shooting down a V1 flying bomb (his second that day).

With the support of the Newhaven Historical Society, I am trying to persuade the town council to name a road after him and also an American pilot.

Without the actions of both these pilots the town would have sustained serious damage. Witnesses talk of McKinlay's aircraft curving over the town damaged by the exploding V1. He was seen to climb partially out of the cockpit but it is thought that he realised the aircraft would hit the town and stayed with it.

He crashed in an area that was a minefield behind the beach. Newhaven's Town Clerk wrote to the family at the time and I believe his father visited the museum about 25 years ago.

The area where he crashed is soon to be developed and we felt it right to commemorate these acts.

The American (a year earlier) realised he was unable to avoid the town if he baled out so turned back out to sea, he was picked up by a trawler badly injured but is still alive.

Curiously he came from Newhaven, Connecticut. Even if the naming doesn't happen I would like to build up information on McKinlay for our records and if any descendants care to contact me I can be reached via the website www.newhavenmuseum.co.uk or 34 Rookery way, Seaford, East Sussex BN25 2TD tel 01323 893096 - Pete Mason.

EURO FLAG

CONGRATULATIONS to Neil Herron and others who have forced Wear Valley District Council to take down the hated flag of the European Union (Echo, Sept 24).

For decades the European Commission has tried to put their Euro flag with its yellow stars on every project, council building, hotel and anything else that did not move! Their aim was to pretend that the EU was a country, that Britain no longer existed and that it was too late to do anything about it because their flag confirmed it all.

Well now they have suffered a defeat - although anti-democratic Eurofanatics may just ignore the law, just as they ignore elections (The EU Constitution, soundly defeated, is being secretly put into practice anyway and that Eurofederalist Gerhard Schroeder thinks that losing an election is no reason to step down as Chancellor of Germany).

Nevertheless, let us hope that this is the first step in sweeping away the entire (taxpayer funded) propaganda machine of this obnoxious regime in our once free country. Next we must tackle the Euro-propaganda in our schools, universities and in the media (notice how the BBC always gives prominence to the one Euro-stooge in the audience of theLast Night of the Proms who uses a national musical occasion to wave the EU flag). - Rodney Atkinson, Stocksfield, Northumberland.

VICTORIAN HERITAGE

IN Rome, the Senate provided bread and circuses to keep the people happy. In Darlington it is fireworks and music which are provided with the same purpose in mind.

Pedestrian Heart, when completed, will make Darlington town centre look much like any other town centre. That is why it is so important to ensure that High Row remains as it is since it will ensure that part of our Victorian heritage is maintained and be a distinguishing feature which will ensure that Darlington does not look like any town.

It is to be hoped that the Local Government Ombudsman will require the Council to "let the people decide" but just in case that should not happen then we must be prepared "to put bums on the roadway of High Row".

If only one tenth of those who signed the petition organised by the Darlington Civic Trust against the council's plans "sat down" peacefully just imagine the scene. - John W Antill, Darlington.

POLICE RESOURCES

I READ the letter from Russell Elliott (HAS, September 23) about the misuse of police resources (a patrol car) to protect a council employee with a measuring wheel.

I believe Mr Elliott may have made a mistake in his interpretation of what he saw.

Since Centex police training school closed recently it has become the task of police forces to do their training "in house".

I believe what Mr Elliott witnessed was part of such a programme. This was probably the part of the training of a police officer where the officer is shown how to walk along a road.

The object Mr Elliott believed was a measuring wheel was in fact a Home Office approved device similar in purpose to stabilisers on a child's bicycle. The patrol car was merely there as a safety precaution in case the trainee fell off. - Barry Wood, Edmondsley.

BUS FEARS

WE live in Catterick and shop regularly in Darlington and have always managed with the traffic and buses as they were, but now walking from the Dolphin centre to Wilkinsons you are attacked from buses coming out of every street.

The congestion outside Wilkinsons with the new mini roundabout and bus route is something else.

Does the council of Darlington want to kill the town off?

The people responsible for these routes should be sacked and the money saved go towards passes for the pensioners. - Tom Amos, Catterick.

YOB UNIT

I READ that Darlington's anti-yob unit is to be disbanded despite the huge success it has had (Echo, Sept 10).

This cuts right through Mr Blair's number one priority, ie yob disorder and more to the point leaves a gaping hole in this area of policing.

It is my understanding that the anti-yob unit has reduced this type of crime by up to 40 per cent in some areas and has allowed honest, decent people to contact someone in the event of anti-social yob behaviour.

By disbanding this unit, local politicians fail to realise that preventing crime is always better than curing crime. Having police and wardens work together would prevent more serious crime later in life by some youths.

I hope the decision to disband this unit will be reconsidered and pressure put on the people who made this terrible decision. - Vince Lee, Darlington.