THE use of corporal punishment was removed from schools during the Margaret Thatcher period and children soon realised that illbehaviour carried no consequences.

The cane was removed at the school I attended. As a result, those whose actions had been inhibited soon realised their actions carried no punishment, while detention were ineffective.

Pupils began being bullied and subject to racial abuse, against which the teachers were powerless to take action.

Many of these bullies ended up in prison for violence because, at school, there was no means by which they could learn that actions have consequences.

These values they passed on to their children, who grew up in an education system where there is no effective means of discipline, creating the yobs of today.

Mrs Thatcher ran a government of the morally bankrupt, which became the embodiment of corruption, lies, sex and financial scandals, to which she turned a blind eye, creating a model which continued under John Major and has since been emulated by New Labour.

CT Riley, Spennymoor, Co Durham.

IN response to Des More and G Patel (HAS, Sept 8) who criticised CT Riley's comments (HAS, Sept 4) about Margaret Thatcher's role as Prime Minister.

When Mrs Thatcher came to power in May 1979 unemployment stood at 1.5 million. In less than three years under her leadership it doubled to three million.

Each month when the increase in unemployment was announced and she was asked to comment on the figures by the media, she used the same three words each time - unfortunate, disappointing and regrettable - despite the increase being the direct result of her government's economic policy.

Regarding the comments about trade union power. Only one in three of workers were members of a trade union. Very few of these ever took industrial action, except for the much publicised miners' and dockers' unions.

By the end of the 1980s, under Mrs Thatcher's rule, inflation was rampant and the base bank lending rate had increased to 15 per cent, which crippled some businesses that had to borrow money sometimes at a rate of 19 per cent.

In short, Mrs Thatcher's role as Prime Minister blighted the entire decade of the 1980s.

Keith Dewison, Billingham.