Do parents know off-road risks?

SIR - Last Sunday, while enjoying a pleasant afternoon walk on Baildon Moor, I witnessed seven young persons on off-road motorcycles.

Some were riding up the path adjacent to Baildon Golf Club's 18th fairway, others were riding up the fairway itself.

From a distance none of the motorcycles appeared to be road legal and the majority of riders appeared to be under the legal age for motorcycles.

Do the parents of these lads/lasses know what they do when let loose on these machines? Are they insured for third party risks? Are they aware of the damage they cause?

I have been a biker for some years now and know the thrill and excitement of riding but the actions of these young lads/lasses is once again giving biking in general a bad name.

Parents please get control or send the bikes back to Santa.

W Ridley, Moorland Crescent, Baildon

Put law into force

SIR - I don't think New Labour has been very observant in its acceptance of the suggested revolt of The Countryside Alliance and their pretence regarding hunting with hounds.

This law has been passed democratically and should now be on the statute book. If this law is not settled in February 2005 it will give precedence to all groups demanding that they get what they want regardless of the law. They will say: "We demand the Huntsman's Law" and the authorities won't have a leg to stand on.

Once again it will fall back on the police to sort it out. They would have every right to refuse to police any activity where the government has irresponsibly condoned the law breakers demands.

Can you imagine another group, like prisoners, getting together and demanding the same? What a job the warders would have.

The Labour leadership has badly let down its back benches and the electorate by undoing its accomplished manifesto promise, now they stand for nothing.

The Conservatives will allow this unrequited cruelty to carry on so what have we left? The Lib-Dems, Greens, BNP, and UKIP.

Derek Wright, Westbury Street, Bradford.

Closure correct

SIR - I have been reading with interest all the comments regarding the closure of Netherlands Avenue.

I am glad it has closed, and not surprised that the majority of objectors are the very people who have been cutting through and using it as a short cut.

Residents from Common Road and Abb Scott Lane should now be able to appreciate what we have had to endure for years.

Netherlands is 'access only', not a thoroughfare, it also has a school on it! Unlike their roads there are no businesses situated on Netherlands, it is not a matter of life or death that these people need to access it, it's just merely for them to save a few minutes of their precious time.

I moved here 18 years ago when it was a quiet road with very little traffic on it.

If what the objectors are saying is true, and Huddersfield Road, Common Road and Abb Scott Lane are all chaotic due to the increase of traffic, how do they think we feel having it all cutting through just one road in the middle of a residential area?

K Smith, Cloverville Approach, Low Moor, Bradford.

A few reminders

SIR - New Labour have a hoarding in Otley Road, Shipley, proclaiming that mortgages are at record low rates and warning us not to let the Tories lead us back to the 15 per cent level.

Thank you Mr Blair and your party for reminding the electorate that if you have your way, no national government of any hue will be able to lead us anywhere, economically. This power will go to the Deutschebank in Frankfurt and we shall be impotently dependant on its decisions on base and mortgage rates.

Can Blair and Brown and our own Chris Leslie guarantee that it will never allow rates to soar again, and if they gave such a guarantee, would anyone believe them?

May I remind people why the rate did rise so alarmingly towards the end of Mrs Thatcher's days - because she allowed her Chancellor to join the ERM which put such a strain on our economy.

Then on what people call 'black' and which I call 'golden' Wednesday our currency found its own value again and we have never looked back since.

At least we were able to quit the ERM, but could we revive the pound if we adopted the euro and then found it to be to our disadvantage, as it will be?

No, of course not; rates were falling and our economy was booming when Blair took over in 1997.

P E Bird, Nab Wood Terrace, Shipley.

Non-EU waste!

SIR - Our local Eurosceptics should look a little closer to home before levelling accusations of fraud at the door of the EU.

The EU's Court of Auditors has spelt out the main problem of Europe's 'missing millions'. It lies, not in Brussels, but in the 25 national capitals.

National governments across Europe are responsible for spending 80 per cent of EU funding in areas where they share responsibility with Brussels. Taxpayers have a right to know that their money is being spent properly.

With accounting improvements on their way, it's time that the European Commission stopped allowing itself to be treated as a punch bag by Eurosceptics.

Gordon Brown's Treasury must explain why eight UK government departments have recently been criticised by auditors for weak financial control. More money disappears through fraud from Britain's welfare budget alone than out of the entire programme of EU spending.

Stuart Baker, Markham Croft, Leeds

Allegiance to UK

SIR - David Rhodes (T&A, January 17) attempts to promote his pro-EU views by trying to establish a parallel, between the foundation and success of the USA and that which may be achieved by a United Europe.

The USA has a history of less than 250 years, and previous to that as colonies, speaking the same language, they had never fought anyone except native Americans, and so little bitterness existed.

Compare this to the long feuding history of Europe, add a whole dollop of bitterness, and David Rhodes will see the hapless comparison he has made.

In reality, the union of the USA cannot be seen to have any real problems, whereas in Europe, it will only need a few financial 'Lexingtons' and it will disintegrate.

We need to be more UK than ever.

Gary Lorriman, North Walk, Harden, Bingley

Count me in...

SIR - What is it about Mike Priestley (T&A, North of Watford, January 22) and New Labour?

They have introduced quite a few sensible policies which affect most people, especially those who are struggling.

One thing I do agree with him though, there is no credible opposition. Eighteen years of Tory rule brought nothing but misery.

The miners, their families and communities crushed; three million people unemployed, causing the treasury to dole out billions of pounds for people to stay at home! Encouraging people to buy their own homes, only to see the interest rate rise to 15 per cent, forcing thousands into negative equity.

Somewhere in the midst of all this heartache the poll tax was introduced, and who was the author of this abysmal scenario, none other than the present leader of the Tory party?

Don't you see Mr Priestley, it's the likes of you and your ilk, who keep writing this unfounded garbage, that keep the fires stoked.

But if it keeps the economy stable, low investment, interest rates and unemployment, new and refurbished hospitals and schools, more doctors, nurses, police, CPOs, asbos, higher minimum wage, more vocational skills, walk-in health centres, child bonds, debt relief, making poverty history, etc, count me in.

Geoff Tasker, Park Road, Low Moor.