LAW AND ORDER: I WAS disgusted to read in yesterday's Northern Echo about a case at Darlington Magistrates' Court whereby a man was charged with drink-driving, driving without a licence and insurance and obstructing a police officer.

The fact is that he was a "loaded weapon" roaming the streets waiting for an accident to happen. On being found guilty, he was fined a paltry £200 and banned from driving for 12 months.

After years of TV campaigning explaining the wrongs and consequences of drink-driving, could the magistrates in question please explain what sort of message this sends out? Are they also aware that if any persons or property were damaged by this "loaded weapon", no compensation would be forthcoming due to the lack of insurance? The message as I see it is don't bother with a licence, disregard your insurance, drink-drive at your leisure and on the off chance that you are caught, take the punishment as it's cheaper in the long run anyway. - Kev Mcstravick, Darlington.

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

I AND the mass of my friends entirely agree with Alan Watson of Witton-le-Wear (HAS, May 13) on the re-introduction of capital punishment.

When there is no doubt that someone has taken a life, that person becomes a murderer and the sentence for this crime should be death - nothing less.

I do not condone hanging. A lethal injection would be the answer. The action in itself would deter similar crimes. - Ruth Rowe, Darlington.

POLICE REVIEW

THE last thing the police forces of this region need is the proposed merger. They are already far too remote from the public and out of touch with the needs of real people. The merger would only make this situation worse. The bigger and more multi-layered an organisation becomes, the greater its capacity for generating red tape, waste, confusion, duplication, extravagance, unaccountability, bureaucracy and overall public irrelevance.

What you really need for an effective police service is small local units, in close contact with the communities they serve, and with key decisions being made locally. You no longer have that, of course, and that's why in so many areas, the quality of life has gone downhill. It's also why, because of the lack of reliable local feedback, the fight against organised crime and terrorism is being lost.

You can't have effective policing at regional or national level without a sound local base. - Tony Kelly, Crook.

DARLINGTON ART

WHY is there no place in Darlington in which the works of local writers and artists can be displayed? Once there was some space in the reading room at the library but now computers have taken it over.

Why not encourage local talent? I have seen several drawings and paintings of local views, including some of steam trains, which would be of interest to local people as well as visitors.

Might it not be a good idea to exhibit such works where visitors go to inquire about local amenities? They would take up little space. Surely there must be somewhere in Darlington where such works might be shown.

A brief announcement and a bit of wall space somewhere might do wonders for local tourism. - CR Clayton, Darlington.

GOTCHA

I CAN still remember seeing the slang word "Gotcha" on the front page of the Sun newspaper in 1982. I thought that perhaps Ronnie Biggs had been arrested or that Lord Lucan had been located. Such a word would have been appropriate for either event, but I gave the newspaper too much credit. I was appalled when reading further to find the word "Gotcha" had been used to describe the sinking of the Argentine cruiser, the General Belgrano, during the Falklands War. More than 300 Argentine sailors perished with her. The tragic event was an act of war, and there are still controversial questions to be answered as to why the Belgrano was sent to the bottom of the South Atlantic. What we do know is that after such a terrible event there was a need for responsible objective reporting, not least for the sake of the Argentine sailors and their next of kin. The use of a slang English word not to be found in an English dictionary did not fulfil those criteria.

BBC2's Newsnight programme is running a competition to find the most memorable headline of recent years. "Gotcha" is among 20 nominated.

It certainly had impact and is remembered. Whether it enhanced the cause of good journalism is another question entirely. I do not think it did. - Derek Parker, Bishop Auckland.

EU REAL MONEY

IN RESPONSE to Councillor Chris Foote-Wood (HAS, May 5), may I put real money to his idea of the cost of our membership of the European Union?

We pay the EU £3.5 billion a year, which will increase, thanks to our Prime Minister, to £6 billion - and this is after taking into account the money we receive back in the form of grants.

Britain receives less "EU money" per head than any other member and Britain is the second largest contributor.

North-East companies and developments that depend upon EU funding could still be supported if Britain were no longer a member and there would be money left over. It is not only the obvious financial cost that the EU has on the lives of the people, but also the costs of the hundreds of rules and regulations on our industries and businesses.

Even the seeds we use in our gardens and allotments have to be approved by the EU at a cost of £3,000 per seed type plus annual charges to maintain their approval. The cost of our membership of this supranational state is far beyond the £115 million per week we pay. - John Waiting, Guisborough.

MUM AT LARGE

I WISH to comment on the Mum at Large by Ruth Campbell (Echo, May 11). I could not believe what I was reading: she left a 14-year-old in charge of four other children, the youngest being three.

It may be within the law, but it certainly is not within common sense. And to arrive home without keys at 1.30am...

She wrote about it as if it was one big joke: "What is the point of having so many children if you can't exploit them occasionally?"

She complained about having to arrange transport and pay a large fee for her usual babysitter. Surely you cannot put too big a price on a child's safety?

If a mother was behaving in the same manner, but living in a more deprived area, I feel sure people and the authorities would be commenting on the lack of common sense. - Name supplied, near Darlington.