04/11/2005

Prior to their installation here there had been at least one fatality.

Since the speed cameras were used there has not been one serious accident.

I hope Mr Mallon also takes note of the reinstallation of speed cameras at the A66/Longnewton junction that were put out of action due to vandalism.

I hope these people would not like the numerous deaths at this junction on their consciences.

It is very noticeable where I live that the roads are safer for pedestrians and motorists since the cameras were used.

Speed cameras catch the guilty. Speed humps penalise the innocent causing pain and discomfort to people, especially those with bad backs etc.

Gresham Road in Middlesbrough is terrible for the number of humps. Mr Mallon should be made to drive up and down the road a few times in his sports car.

I used to live in Salters Lane South in Darlington, which has now been totally spoiled with the overreaction of humps and chicanes. I certainly would not like to live there now and I take alternative routes wherever possible. - Name and address supplied.

STANHOPE FORD

ON Tuesday, having just about completed the crossing of the Stanhope Ford, in Weardale, my car engine stalled.

A young lady heading south, using the stepping stones over the river, was kind enough to go into the town and seek the help it was feared that we would need.

In the event, I was able to restart, drive out, and cancel the arrangement she had made with the police.

We saw her again as we were driving from the ford, and expressed our appreciation, but, on reflection, decided this was inadequate, as we had failed to get her name.

Is it possible, please, that you could publish this letter of thanks from four grateful travellers who are long past the age for paddling! - Ron Bell, Sunderland.

POLICE FORCE

RE R Elliott's letter about the police (HAS, Oct 3) and the response from the community person, I Butler, of Bishop Auckland.

I was reminded of a conversation many years ago with my father. He told me of the time when he was a young police constable in the Willington area when the superintendent from the Bishop Auckland area visited the section office.

The superintendent asked how a new member of the section was settling in. The sergeant began to extol the educational qualifications of the new man to which the superintendent replied: "Never mind that, can he poliss?"

I never did find out if this man could 'poliss,' but I have no doubt he could have penned a wonderful letter to HAS.

I have no words of comfort for R Elliott of Escomb except to say that we are all in the same boat and perhaps some time in the future another Robert Peel may come along and establish a police force. - G. Atkinson, Crook.

TONY BLAIR

THERE is no doubt that time is running out for Mr Blair.

Our Foreign Secretary cum Prime Minister is running all round the world playing the world statesman, or so he thinks, while matters at Westminster are a complete shambles.

Fox hunters are breaking the law with impunity and nothing is done about it. The Anti-smoking Bill is a huge fudge which will end in disaster.

Twenty four-hour drinking is almost upon us which is like giving cigarettes to someone with lung cancer.

Bush and Blair trying to divert attention from their own failures are mounting a political offensive against Iran. They always need a bogey country!

Kofi Annan says no country has the right to interfere in the affairs of a sovereign state.

It would be laughable if it were not so tragic after what we have done in Iraq.

But what gets me most is the insufferable arrogance and mind-boggling hypocrisy of Bush and Blair and the quicker they depart the scene of world politics the better it will be for all of us. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

DAVID BLUNKETT

NOW that Mr Blunkett has, like Mr Mandelson, resigned twice from the Government, will he too, soon be heading off to Brussels for the tax free pensions and salaries offered by the EU at our expense? - Judith Wallace, Whitley Bay.

SMOKING FREEDOM

ARE we all now living under a dictatorship as opposed to a democracy?

I fully sympathise with those who do not smoke (I myself am a moderate smoker) but we should all have the freedom of choice.

You may say that non-smokers do not have a choice. I beg to differ. There is a choice as to whether or not to go into premises that allow smoking. I quite agree that there should be sections in public places where smoking is not allowed but I also feel there should be places set aside for smokers. The general public would then have a choice.

The blanket ban on smoking in public is giving smokers no choice at all. It is also taking away the right of owners of private property to decide whether or not to have smoking/non smoking areas.

Non-smokers may say they do not wish to be involved with passive smoking. I wonder if these people drive cars. After all, smokers have no choice but to inhale exhaust fumes from cars, which are just as poisonous and obnoxious, if not more so, than cigarette smoke.

Private clubs, such as workingmen's clubs etc, should be run for the benefit of the members and should not be dictated to by government on policy.

If this blanket ban comes into force I will just not go into public places where smoking is banned altogether. This will mean a reduction in people attending pubs and clubs and will ultimately result in loss of jobs and, the way the current economic climate is, I fail to see this is a good thing. - M Harrison, Bishop Auckland.

CROHNS DISEASE

I WAS outraged to read Mrs Watson's (HAS, 25 Oct) letter about MMR that went on to discuss Crohns Disease.

I have had Crohns for many years now, with 26 operations in the last three years, and for her to go on and say it is caused by stress and food is wrong.

I will agree these factors contribute to "flare ups" but are in no way the cause.

I found the letter to be misleading. Anyone who would like further advice on Crohns Disease should visit my web site www.communigate.co.uk/ne/ crohns - Ian White, Hurworth.

GNAW THEY DON'T

HARRY Mead (Echo, Nov 2) usually so perceptive, refers to the reintroduction of beavers and talks of the damming of rivers.

The beavers being introduced will be European beavers, which do not build dams and gnaw through trees as the American ones do.

There may be arguments against their reintroduction but the damming of rivers and tree damage is not one of them. - Eric Gendle, Middlesbrough.

SCHOOL REPAIRS: YOU reported that the Government had issued £60m for school repairs for the North-East. I was wondering how come Darlington got awarded £20.6m when it was reported in January that their backlog of School repair work was £22,193,948?

Yet Newcastle who have a backlog of repairs of nearly four times as much only got £4.5m. This just does not add up, unless I have my maths wrong.

I was also wondering how Darlington Borough Council (Labour) can allocate this £20.6m to Carmel and Branksome, firstly because they are talking about closing Branksome and secondly, the decision to close Hurworth Comprehensive has not been made and it may not close, so Hurworth will need some of that money for its repairs?

I am sorry but none of this seems fair. - Julie Jones, Hurworth.

NO SENSE

TOO many things about Eastbourne and Hurworth Schools do not make sense.

Eastbourne School came out of special measures a year ago while under a Federation headed by ion headed by Mr Farrar who happily took the credit.

In March Mr Farrar praised the Head, Mrs Pemberton, and declared the Federation was to end because of its success.

Weeks later Mrs Pemberton was suspended.

Then Mr Farrar and Mrs Asquith announced Eastbourne's closure and a new Hurworth School be built in Eastbourne's catchment area.

The "lucky" Hurworth staff were "guaranteed" jobs provided no fuss despite lots of horrified parents.

Now we're told it's to be an Academy. Aren't Academies supposed to replace struggling schools? So why Hurworth, a successful school, and Eastbourne when it was until Mrs Pemberton's resignation an improving school.

We as taxpayers and parents have a right to know how money is spent and have a say in whether education in the town is privatised. - G Alexander, Darlington.

FREEDOM

WHOEVER invented the new Freedom of Information Act should have given it a separate name when used in the same sentence as Darlington Borough Council.

I waited 21 working days only to be told in an answer to four questions "a response will be provided within five working days" Why? Wasn't a month long enough?

I know I am not the only person in Share (Save Hurworth and Rural Education) who is getting the run around from the council, so I suggest that everyone with a complaint reports them immediately to the information commissioner, as this has gone on for to long now. - Ian White, Hurworth

EDUCATION VILLAGE

TAKEN together, the recent articles and letters in the Echo give the impression of a local education authority in complete disarray over its handling of education in general.

The authority is increasingly losing the confidence of the electorate. It is true that GCSE grades are slowly getting better but if 44 per cent of pupils are still missing out on good passes, secondary education cannot be said to be satisfactory.

Darlington results may look all right when compared to others, but they still leave a lot to be desired. The mess the council has got itself into over the education village cannot be excused.

Class sizes in primary schools mean a quarter of pupils are not getting sufficient teacher support. No wonder secondary schools and later, universities, have trouble with low achievement in mathematics and English. More money could be spent improving the position at primary level if some of the resources which the council spends on its grandiose schemes were diverted to areas of greatest need.

At secondary level, two schools were allowed to deteriorate so that they were eventually put under special measures so, in one case, there is to be a merger with an excellent school in order to solve the problem.

And the council cannot make up its mind as to which course it should take and the uncertainty is not going to help anyone. - RK. Bradley, Darlington.

COUNCIL SEATS

WITH boring predictability the Labour Party is guaranteed to be elected time and time again in many of Darlington's council seats whether they deserve to be or not.

With this unhealthy fact in mind it could be suggested that what we have is an elected dictatorship.

Labour's anti-democratic behaviour is exposed by their pushing on with such unpopular schemes as the tearing out of High Row's unique and cherished features, the demolition of the mock Tudor White Horse Hotel and the closure of Hurworth School, all against the wishes of the vast majority.

No matter how they perform, Labour councillors can feel comfortable that people will vote for them on such politically unsophisticated reasons as "I've always voted Labour" or the dubious and out of date "they stick up for the working-class".

Voters need to wise up, ditch loyalties to their old party, vote tactically and make every councillor nervous that they could be thrown out of their cosy, safe seat next election. This way it will make politicians listen to them and work for them. - Trevor Agnew, Darlington.