I MUST point out to Carl Whelpdale (HAS, Aug 27) that there are around 760 murders a year in Britain, about 12 of which are known to be "honour killings".
These are particularly repugnant crimes, but there is no reason to suppose that the law is being "blatantly disregarded" by ethnic minorities any more than by anyone else.
Mr Whelpdale says that in some areas, communities are "divided on racial/religious grounds". This is certainly cause for concern and there are complex reasons for it. The situation is not helped by Mr Whelpdale's party, the BNP, which fuels hostility by blaming every social and economic problem on ethnic minorities.
It would be wrong, however, to imagine a segregated Britain. There are people of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds well integrated into our society.
Mr Whelpdale asks who will build, and pay for, "bridges of understanding" between communities. They are built, free of charge, by ordinary people who are happy to work and socialise with people from different ethnic groups.
Some marry and have children, which must be particularly irritating for BNP leader Nick Griffin, a selfconfessed "race separatist" who opposes what he calls "miscegenation".
Pete Winstanley, Durham.
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