ACCORDING to Jonathan Edwards the cuts to sport and leisure services within the North-East would have been worse had London not been hosting next year’s Olympic Games (Echo, Oct 18).
Had the billions spent on the Olympic Games been used elsewhere it could have provided facilities for young and old, kept care homes open, allowed for schools to be repaired and hospitals built.
The money spent could have been used to pay for job creation programmes or much-needed housing.
It could have paid for the training of doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers, scientists and others whose skills are essential to society. It could have been used to fill in the shortfalls in pensions or prevent the need for student fees. It could have provided better equipment for the Armed Forces, saving many lives.
But instead billions of pounds this nation cannot afford has been spent pandering to the egos of politicians and those whose pointless sports bring rewards which are of absolutely no use to anyone.
CT Riley, Spennymoor.
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