I FIND it hard to believe that this Government has sent HMS Ark Royal to Turkey to be scrapped when it could have been done on the Tyne and given jobs to local people.

I find it hard to believe they got rid of the ship in the first place. Ships, hospitals, jobs in the Armed Forces all gone – the sooner this Government is out the better.

Kevin Heslop, Wolsingham.

I READ with interest that HMS Ark Royal will bring £3m from its scrap value to the Treasury (Echo, Sept 10). The best option would have been to keep this ship and stop giving millions of pounds in international aid to places abroad at a time when our own economy is in decline.

We should also not downgrade our defence options.

Councillor Ben Ord (Lib Dem), Spennymoor .