DAVE BROTHERS (HAS, Jan 18) seems to attribute the closure of The National Bullying Helpline to pressure from the previous government but this is a deliberately misleading interpretation of the events leading to the demise of the charity.

In early 2010 the founder of the helpline, Mrs Christine Pratt, betrayed a confidence by disclosing that it had received calls from Downing Street.

A number of the helpline’s patrons, including Ann Widdecombe, resigned in disgust and the Charity Commission investigated the events.

It did not help that Mrs Pratt had a history of Tory Party activism and that some calls to the helpline were diverted to a human resources consultancy run by her husband.

Understandably the charity has since found difficulty in attracting funds and this month Mrs Pratt bowed to the inevitable by resigning, effectively closing the charity.

VJ Connor, Bishop Auckland.