May 29, 2006

I can't take the issue that seriously, although I would be concerned at the prospect of children being raised in such an environment.

But the shock or amusement of women going to the shops on dog leads should not distract us from the plight of real, rather than pretend, sex slaves. It seems that in Britain, as well as the rest of the world, young women, mostly foreign, are being kept prisoner and forced to serve as prostitutes.

It is difficult to understand how the police and courts can fail to stamp out a crime involving large numbers of men daily visiting the crime scene. These women should be taken into protective custody to give evidence against their persecutors.

They should be extended every support, short of being allowed to remain here indefinitely. That would not be sensible because generosity to innocent victims sadly invites others to simulate this status.

I would not, however, wish kidnappers, traffickers and pimps, or indeed any other dangerous foreign criminals, to be deported.

It should be part of our contribution to the global community that we keep them, and their home-grown equivalents, permanently locked away. - John Riseley, Harrogate.

HUGH PENDER

I WAS delighted to read the comments of people who had a go at me (HAS, May 23).

Alfred Miller thinks Christopher Wardell's contributions are fine, but anybody who thinks our judges are left wing, like Mr Wardell, displays poor judgement of our judiciary.

Kev McStravick ends his contribution with the term "Redpen Hugh" whatever that means. He knows nothing about my political beliefs which are certainly not "red".

Mr Wardell thinks I should get out more and learn more about life. At the age of 77 I think I have seen a lot more of life than Mr Wardell. At 15 I was school sports champion and at 17 I was captain of the Scottish Schools football team. Subsequently, I was a professional footballer, draughtsman and chemical plant site supervisory engineer.

Retired for 12 years, my wife and I have been married for 43 years and have two grown-up children, both successful in work, and three lovely, clever grandchildren, all girls.

Until recently my wife and I walked extensively in the Lakes and Dales achieving many summits. Finally, I will continue to send in my letters about Iraq and George Bush and Tony Blair - letters which I get stopped in the street and congratulated about. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

CHRISTOPHER WARDELL

I TOO look forward to reading the letters from the writer Christopher Wardell (HAS, May 23). He is one of a rare breed who has the bottle to come forward and tell it as it is. A refreshing change from those in power who constantly try and pull the wool over our eyes. - Joan McTigue, Independent Councillor, Middlesbrough.

CRB ERRORS

IN respect of 2,500 people wrongly identified by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) as pornographers, thieves, violent robbers, etc, you reported a Home Office spokesman as saying that "no apology is made for erring on the side of caution" referring to the safety of vulnerable adults and children (Echo, May 22).

Perhaps then, the CRB might strive to be sufficiently cautious as to properly identify the people it examines. Or are we to believe that wrongful identification only affects the innocent? Common sense suggests that for every innocent person erroneously labelled as a criminal, an equal number of criminals probably are declared as innocent.

Further, the spokesman described the 2,500 unfortunate people who were innocently criminalised as a "tiny proportion", yet in the same article the Home Office proudly declared that 25,000 people were prevented from furthering their applications due to CRB checks. Since when was ten per cent a tiny proportion when considering innocent people's lives and their livelihoods? - Chris Baker, Crook.

GP CHOICES

RE the article (Echo, May 19) about Dr Robin Wade (the family doctor who forged patient prescriptions to satisfy an addiction to strong painkillers being cleared to work again as a GP).

Eight years ago, County Durham and Darlington Health Authority set up a support service for GPs which was nationally recognised for its innovation and was indeed an NHS Beacon project.

GP Choices has now developed into a full occupational health service for all primary care staff, including dentists, and its work is watched and copied elsewhere.

Its experience in rehabilitation of doctors with health problems, including addiction, is considerable and successful - all this being done without compromising patient safety which is regarded as paramount.

Perhaps to inform your readers and avoid unnecessary anxiety about their health care you could look at a broader and more humane view.

Perhaps even doctors can be regarded as human beings with recoverable problems. - Len Featherstone, retired GP and former Clinical Lead for GP Choices, Chester-le-Street.

ANIMAL TESTING

WRITER M Embling complains that Tony Blair has backed the use of animals in drug testing (HAS, May 22). This is what the vast majority of the population believe, surely, that the use of animals in the testing of drugs is an unfortunate necessity.

The testing is done to try to ensure the safety of drugs, not because the scientists involved are sadistic maniacs.

Without testing on animals, there would be a much greater risk of adverse reactions to humans.

If M Embling and others are true to their principles, they will ask at their doctors or pharmacists if any medicine they wish to buy or be prescribed has been tested on animals, and refuse it if they receive a positive answer. - Eric Gendle, Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough.

PENSIONS

LET me get this right. The Government wants me as a taxpayer to plug a £25m hole in MPs' pensions.

Then we have the £1.5bn given to the Post Office pension fund (taxpayers' money) to ease its £5bn deficit. This is while millions of ordinary Britons face a pension meltdown. MPs' retirement benefits have never been better.

In 2001, MPs voted for an increase in their guaranteed final salary scheme. An MP with five years' service to rise by £1,375 to £6,875.

Those with ten years' service up £2,750 to £13,750 and those with 20 years' service from £22,000 to £27,500.

These increases alone are more than most pensioners can hope to get on retirement. This is an insult to every taxpayer in this country. Isn't it about time Gordon Brown sorted out the pensions mess? I make no apologies for writing about pensions again. (HAS, May 19). - AL Carter, Redcar.

CRIME STATISTICS

THE article on crime statistics (Echo, May 23) stated that the Durham police force was not included in the survey by the independent think-tank, Reform. In The Times on the same day, the survey featured in a two-page spread, but yet again there was no mention of Durham Constabulary or the crime figures and statistics for the force.

Why is this? Is there an explanation for this strange omission? I'm sure people would be interested in being able to compare the figures with other parts of the country. - PG Deakin, Shildon.