FIGHT FOR FEETHAMS: I AM at a loss to understand how an asset left to benefit the community of Darlington and its people can suddenly become a multi-million pound cash cow for a tiny minority called Darlington Cricket Club.

Just who will oversee and decide the destination of this money? Did the original benefactor envisage or even desire that this massive turn of events should take place when he first bequeathed this asset to the town, benefiting relatively few to the detriment of so many?

It would be interesting to know if other members of the Feethams Trust Committee, that is the Mayor, ex-Mayor, Town Clerk (Council Chief Executive?) and the sitting MP, Alan Milburn, agreed with the decision to redevelop Feethams for housing?

Or, indeed, were they even consulted? It is impossible to believe that Durham County Cricket team would descend on Feethams on a regular basis to play matches, apart from the odd Sunday League game.

The concept of developing Feethams and its team into a first class side has long gone. And just which "other sports" could we expect within the confines of Feethams to justify this £4.8m windfall?

Those parties involved should hang their heads in shame for allowing Feethams to be systematically vandalised in the way in which it has, including a new stand with superb facilities barely six years old.

And heaven help Darlington FC if an owner of the football club ever decides that the club is not financially viable at the Neasham Road stadium. Then the town will have plenty of time to ponder on its mistakes. - Name and address supplied.

MY wife and I have lived for several years in Victoria Embankment, Darlington, and we are overlooked by the unsightly old main stand which has been badly vandalised.

Our idea for the site is for Darlington Council to organise consultation with Feethams Cricket Field Trust, as owners, and all neighbouring parties including Polam Hall School and the residents of Quaker Lane, South Terrace and Victoria Embankment.

We feel a mixed development could be suitable, including residential, sporting use and a youth club which is much needed in this location.

Moreover, we should like to have the old main stand removed very soon to avoid any more damage and disturbance. - Malcolm Dunstone, Darlington.

AS a Darlington supporter for 70-odd years, I would like to say the idea of using the Feethams ground for the disabled suggested by Tony Taylor is an excellent idea.

The facilities would be ideal, with easy access and parking. I think the idea of building houses on land that was given to the townspeople for sport only by the elders of the town many years ago, is wrong.

I hope the council do something about it. - EF Galloway, Darlington.

THE Feethams debate raises a lot of questions, many of which may only be answered in the fullness of time. But answered they will be. What goes around comes around.

The overriding theme is one of accountability because the town seems to be on a downwards spiral of ill-conceived "deconstruction and demolition".

The heart and pulse of the town centre are being ripped out, be it by pedestrianisation, the rapid erosion of the financial well-being of its market culture, talk of a Tesco replacing the Town Hall, unworkable bus traffic flows or whatever.

Ripping Feethams apart will simply extend this deconstruction and demolition of what was once a town centre.

Accountability? The original Feethams trusteeship deeds allocate trusteeship to a group which also includes the town's MP, Mayor and Town Clerk.

To what extent have they been involved in the recent decisions about Feethams? - Doug Embleton, Darlington.

HUNTING

I FEEL I must write in response to H Pender's letter on hunting (HAS, Jan 4).

He must watch an awful lot of old B movies to come up with some of his opinions, the latest being that people following hunts on horseback are "the upper crust of rural Britain".

Maybe so in the rip-roaring twenties or thereabouts, but not in this day and age. Since the hunting ban was introduced, the numbers of followers has hardly changed, with some hunts having an increase in membership.

So, as Mr Pender would like to see "these law breakers" taken to court, can he come up with a suggestion as to where our police forces are going to find the resources to do this, when they are struggling to keep gangs of drunken teenagers off our streets, and out of our parks and cemeteries on a weekend.

Perhaps if he has any ideas he could write to a movie producer, it would make a good B movie. - Patrick Blewitt, Darlington.

JUDGE WHITBURN

I SINCERELY hope Judge Guy Whitburn has not started the year in the way he means to carry on.

A suspended sentence for a repeat offender involving the supply of heroin is an absolute travesty.

The judicial system is meant to protect the public, punish the offender and offer some rehabilitation. Failing on all three counts in this serious case is an appalling state of affairs.

Judge Whitburn has not considered the police, the public or the thousands of victims who are affected by heroin addicts who resort to robbery, violence and burglary just for their next fix.

Citing that prisons are full was not only incorrect but, more importantly, should have absolutely no bearing whatsoever on any serious arrestable offence.

Judge Whitburn needs to consider retirement. - R Bridgett, Shildon.

SNOWBALLS

SNOWBALLING children having fun in the snow or yobs using it as an excuse to assault people and cause damage?

The Echo reported that Darlington police in one day had nearly 30 calls of snowballs thrown at cars, not to mention the many it seems unreported, thrown at passers-by, windows etc.

There were reports of a man assaulted in his car when he reprimanded youths for throwing snowballs at cars in Darlington.

Then, on the other side of the coin, we have a report of a youth assaulted and put in hospital in Warrington by two men who believed he had thrown a snowball at their car.

The first response by the police in Darlington to the many reports of snowballs thrown was: "We don't want to stop children having fun in the snow, but a snowball could cause a driver to lose control and have an accident."

These aren't children, they are mainly yobs with the intention of causing damage and injury. Probably the same ones who throw stones at people and buses, and whether they are throwing snowballs or stones, doesn't the law class it as assault?

And as we can see at Warrington, sometimes they pick on people who are dangerous. In other countries youths have been shot, stabbed and sprayed with pepper.

It can't be long before someone is killed here because yobs think they can do what they like. - Name and address supplied.