RE the campaign for Intercity Express Programme trains to be built by Japanese manufacturer Hitachi at Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.

This is what the North-East needs – lots of jobs for people and we could build them cheaper if we don’t bother with Hitachi.

Just buy one of each of the trains we need, bring them over here, strip them down and copy all the components. In that way we will create even more jobs.

That’s what the Japanese did to our car and bike industry in the Fifties and Sixties. Let’s see if they are as tolerant as we were with the word “patent”.

Joe Pinkney, Tow Law, Co Durham.