PETE Winstanley (HAS, Sept 5) says that because only 12 murders a year out of 760 are known to be "honour killings" (12 too many in my opinion) then many ethnic communities aren't disregarding British laws.

To me, this is just one of many examples of where laws are being broken by people living in Britain carrying out alien cultural practices.

One of the most disturbing is the practice of female circumcision, where a Government report in 2005 showed that up to 76,000 women in the UK may have undergone this illegal operation and that an estimated 7,000 young girls were still at risk.

This is a significant number of people "blatantly disregarding" our laws and considering this cultural practice was outlawed in Britain under the Female Circumcision Act 1985, it shows that Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, who was a Government health spokesman in 1998, was right when he stated that this practice is "deeply steeped in the cultures" of ethnic communities.

Mr Winstanley then states that "bridges of understanding" between communities are free. Perhaps he forgets the £100m a year (and rising) cost of translating and interpreting for UK residents who don't speak English.

Carl Whelpdale, Spennymoor, Co Durham.

I FEEL I must lend my full support to Pete Winstanley's views concerning multiculturalism following recent opposing views in HAS.

This opposition seems largely to come from those connected to extremist political parties, such as the BNP, and suggests that Mr Winstanley is soft when it comes to crimes committed by ethnic minorities, whereas the opposite is true.

Had they properly read his letters they would know that he has roundly condemned these crimes and called for the law to be vigorously applied.

Will BNP members be supporting the England rugby team in this year's World Cup, bearing in mind players such as Paul Sackey and Jason Robinson will be representing the country?

In my view it was the latter's try in the last World Cup final and not Jonny Wilkinson's drop goal which won the trophy for England.

Mr Robinson has been a great ambassador for his country in both codes of rugby and has even captained the side, and, as rugby is totally a team-orientated game it is good to watch players of different ethnic backgrounds working together for a common cause and proud to wear their country's colours.

B Kidd, Stockton-on-Tees.