BRAVE GURKHAS NEED PENSION EQUALITY: IT was with dismay that I read about the Gurkhas having to go to Downing Street and beg for a pension that would put them on an equal footing with their British counterparts (Echo, May 23).

These brave soldiers have fought campaigns side by side with British comrades since 1817 - the Indian Mutiny, Boxer rebellion, First and Second World Wars to name a few. They have proved time and again they have no equal in bravery and devotion to duty, winning countless awards for gallantry, including numerous VCs. On reaching retirement age they are dispatched back to Nepal and put out to grass.

Meanwhile, so-called refugees from other countries cross our borders by any means possible (including illegal means) and live in the luxury of our welfare state.

While I do appreciate there are genuine cases among these people, it is Gurkhas that are fighting in their countries to establish democracies for their hopeful return.

Am I missing something as I am somewhat confused?Come on Mr Blair, put your hand in "our pockets" and pay these men what they are due.

A bigger case of racial discrimination I have yet to witness, and this by a Government that supposedly embraces all cultures.

Kev McStravick, Darlington.

FUTURE PENSIONS.

HOW convenient for the British Government to alter the future pension arrangements over a time span leading up to 2050. With the UK's involvement with the European Union and the continued transfer of laws and decision-making from the UK Prime Minister and Queen to the European President, come 2050 it will be this person who decides the newly-separated British regions' pension provision.

Members of the current UK Government and those since the infamous, and some would say treacherous, vote in the early 1970s will all have been retired off, enjoying the lavish pensions us taxpayers have had to provide for them.

The UK Government instead could act now and withdraw from the EU, redirecting the squandered money being sucked up by this corrupt organisation, and the horrendous money being wasted on the Iraq war, to current and future pensioners of this country who deserve a quality of life in keeping with standards to be expected of the world's fourth largest economy.

Mark Anderson, Middleton St George.

REGIONALISATION.

I FEEL I must reply to Chris Foote Wood (HAS, May 23). Firstly I am not his namesake. Second I did not "castigate" him. I merely pointed out that when he wrote his letter about European values he stated one to be to "listen to its citizens".

I suggested there was a difference between listening to and taking note of what they say. He states that the referendum was about "change" to a new system of local government or "no change".

I voted in the referendum and as far as I was concerned I was voting about regionalisation. I believe readers of this column would feel the same. It came as a surprise to lots of us to know there was an unelected regional assembly already in place before the referendum. A vote against an elected assembly meant we wanted an unelected assembly - seems Orwellian to me.

Mr Foote Wood states that he accepts the "no change" vote. In that case, why is the Government giving extra powers to the unelected assembly? Why are we facing regionalisation in police forces, hospitals, ambulance controls, etc? It seems to suggest he accepts no change provided we have changes. That is the part of "no change" I don't understand.

Barry Wood, Edmondsley, Co Durham.

BUS CAMPAIGN.

I WISH to thank the many readers of Hear All Sides who wrote to me offering information about bus changes in their areas and also offering support to campaign against these changes.

I wish to apologise to them all by updating them on progress so far.

Readers may have seen that there is an ongoing GMB union campaign (Echo Business, May 25) to save lots of Remploy factories from closure. With my also working at Remploy, and being union branch secretary, this means every spare waking moment is being devoted to achieving success there.

But rest assured, when we win this, and we have every intention of doing so, I will be pursuing the issue of our buses in County Durham doggedly.

Kenneth Stubbs, Newton Aycliffe.

THANK YOU.

MY husband, Jimmy, and I have had the great pleasure of celebrating our diamond wedding, so we would like to thank all our neighbours, friends and family for making it such a wonderful occasion. Thanks for all flowers, gifts and donations (which have bought a nebuliser for Sedgefield Surgery). Part of the celebrations took place at the St George Hotel, Durham Tees Valley Airport, so a big thanks go to Phil Smith and staff for their kindness, good service and lovely meals provided. While thanks are in order may I, on behalf of the Middleton St George Association of the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Air Force, say thank you again to Phil Smith and staff, both past and present, for the service they have given us and the lovely meals. Our first reunion was in 1981 and continues today.

Betty and Jimmy Amlin, Sedgefield.

JOHN'S WONDERINGS...

IT makes me wonder, occasionally, how Tony Blair gets through the day with 111 deaths on his conscience (British military toll in Iraq). Or were they not his fault? Another thing I've been wondering about for a while (in connection with the North-East Ambulance Service NHS Trust dispute over paramedic meal breaks), is this: if an off-duty ambulance driver had a bad accident while out shopping with his wife, would his on-duty mates who just happened to be on a meal break whip the caps back on their flasks, hoy the sarnies out of the window and go and fetch him? Or would he be treated just like the rest of us, and have to take pot luck?

I wonder about many things, me. One of my favourite wonders is: why don't drink-drivers automatically have to pass a driving test again after their ban is up?

John Reynolds, Eldon, Co Durham.

POLICE MERGERS.

YOUR editorial comment (Echo, May 24) on the creation of a merged North-East police force correctly concludes that people living in the region are mainly concerned about the availability of officers on the beat and local accountability.

The new Home Secretary, Dr John Reid, came to the conclusion to defer the national scheme to merge the 43 English and Welsh police forces into 12 large regional super forces after a report for the Association of Chief Police Officers showed that the cost of the merger plans could lead to the strength of the police being cut by 25,000 and there would also be considerably less local police accountability.

Rather than ignore professional advice, as The Northern Echo suggests in last Wednesday's leader, Dr Reid has embraced it and clearly ignored his party's obsession with regionalisation.

Peter Troy, Sedgefield.

INDEPENDENT?

WHEN is Independent, not Independent? Answer: when Shildon Independent councillors voted themselves a Group Leader at the Shildon Town Council meeting on Monday, May 22.

Ken Bowes, Shildon.