GREAT BRITAIN: AS a bastion of democracy, our country has a past to be proud of and we have an important role to play now and in the future - ask any of those veteran service personnel who took part with great pride and patriotism in services on Remembrance Day.

For more than 1,000 years we have often stood as a lone sentinel of freedom in the world. Yes, we have had periods of strife and moral ills but decency and democracy have always won at the end of the day.

Let us ensure our history is taught to all future generations with pride and humility. - John Waiting, Guisborough.

NHS DENTISTRY

IT IS virtually impossible for new patients in Spennymoor to get NHS treatment. Why do we have to go to Ferryhill to be able to take advantage of NHS dentistry?

The Government claims it has recruited more than 1,000 new NHS dentists. Where are they? All over Sedgefield Borough dentists are refusing to accept new NHS patients.

The time is going to come when it will be impossible to get NHS dental treatment. People will have no choice but to go private. The people who are going to suffer are those on benefits or the low paid as dental problems are not just painful, in some cases they can be life threatening. - Councillor Martin Jones, Liberal Democrat, Spennymoor Ward, Sedgefield Borough Council.

2018 WORLD CUP

SPORTS Minister Richard Caborn is speaking to the English FA in preparation to submit a bid for the 2018 World Cup.

Given that soccer is by far the most popular sport in the UK, this should receive significant support. Once the new Wembley and Arsenal's Emirates stadium are complete, to go with the other super stadiums at Old Trafford, St James's Park, the Stadium of Light, City of Manchester and Villa Park etc, England will have the infrastructure in place to hold this important competition.

It would be a travesty if we did not submit a bid given that we have won the Olympic bid, which will require massive public funding for stadiums and infrastructure, which, after the event, will remain largely unused.

I would support Cardiff's Millennium stadium, Edinburgh's Murrayfield and Glasgow's Ibrox Stadium being used to give the World Cup tournament an inclusive UK feel. - Mark Anderson, Middleton St George.

PHEASANT SHOOTING

THE pheasant shooting season is underway, so why not join an increasing number of people who are taking advantage of nature's bounty and try some high-quality, healthy and delicious game?

Game is leading the food revolution in the UK, and demand is at an all-time high. With a low-fat and low-calorie content, game such as pigeon, pheasant and rabbit, as well as venison, is making a hit in kitchens across the country as an affordable and healthy option.

Local retailers and farm shops are increasingly linking up with local estates and shoots to provide fresh game on their counters, while many local supermarkets now stock and promote a wide selection of game, from stuffed pheasant breast to venison haunch and venison burgers.

Earlier this year, Defra minister Ben Bradshaw confirmed that the Government plans to liberalise game laws to help boost the industry, and encourage more people to eat game, which he describes as "nutritious, tasty and containing some of the vital oils shared with oily fish".

It is not hard to see that game is a sustainable product which is not only healthy, affordable and easy to cook, but is wild, natural and free-range, and it can only be so because of the efforts of the shooting community.

For more details about game, ask your local butcher, or for some delicious game recipes, go to www.game-to-eat.co.uk. - Richard Dodd, North of England Regional Director, Countryside Alliance.

TONY BLAIR

I AGREE with Mark Anderson (HAS, Nov 14) about the failures of Tony Blair and would suggest his erosion of democracy and efforts to give away the last of our powers to Europe are a bigger disservice to his country.

Now we have to endure his final throes as he thrashes around trying to establish some sort of legacy. Although Mr Blair preaches to us to show respect, at present his legacy would appear to be a lack of respect for his own original supporters and anything related to the truth.

Bring on Gordon Brown, who says he admires Margaret Thatcher's legacy, but whose policies seem to be about creating jobs through increased bureaucracy, leading only to economic decline and higher taxes for all. - John Heslop, Gainford.

GOVERNMENTESE

I TRIED to read with interest your article about the £340,000 budget increase to pay for extra youth workers (Echo, Nov 14), but, as usual, when it is anything to do with Darlington Borough Council, it was full of wafflespeak.

Why can't we have an article which explains clearly in words of no more than three syllables what it is about?

For instance, what do youth workers actually do for their salary and when do they do it?

Please don't spoil your excellent newspaper by falling into the trap of governmentese, which is designed only to confuse. As my old teacher used to impress upon us: "Say what you mean and say it clearly." - M Flowers, Hurworth, Darlington.

TOILETS

WITH all the changes that are happening in Darlington town centre, are we going to get extra public toilets, especially for disabled people?

The nearest toilets are in the Cornmill, which are at the moment under refurbishment. Having so few toilets is ridiculous. Places like pubs, cafes etc won't let you use their lavatories. Come on Darlington Council, provide these for all. - Stephen Beaton, Darlington.

FEAR OF CRIME

THE inference by John Warwick (HAS, Nov 7) that Darlington is a less safe place in which to live and work than Middlesbrough is nonsense.

Violent crime and, in particular, violence against the person, is a policing priority for the South Area of Durham Constabulary and a great deal of officer and partnership work goes into preventing and detecting crimes of this nature. Perhaps the fact that he sees patrolling police vehicles would support this.

Over the past decade there have been year-on-year falls in recorded crime in County Durham and Darlington which make this area one of the safest places to live in England and Wales. This is something we can never be complacent about. However, the fact that violence against the person is eight per 1,000 head of population in Darlington as opposed to 16.9 per 1,000 head of population in Middlesbrough makes me think Darlington is the safer place to live.

As with all matters of policing we rely upon public support and I would ask Mr Warwick to ensure that if he, as he describes, is observing criminal behaviour from the window of his home each evening, he ring us. Unfortunately, he does not seem to have done that so far and hence not afforded the police an opportunity to bring offenders to justice. - Superintendent Andy Summerbell, Area operations manager, Durham Police.