Letters to the Editor

As the police have no power to do anything about fireworks now, I can safely assume he had no power then, so would the said policeman care to call around and apologise for the lies.

I L Houldsworth

Canberra drive

Cross Roads

Sir - I was interested to read of Councillor Thorne's misgivings with regard to the Bradford education authority's programme of "co-location" for special school students, following the recent meeting at Braithwaite Special School.

I was unfortunately unable to attend that meeting.

"Co-location" is the department's buzzword for lumping children with special needs in along with the rest.

In July, I wrote to Mr David Mallen, chairman of Education Policy Partnership at City Hall, to state a view firstly that this particular school is ideally situated for expansion, due to the availability of an adjacent site, and secondly that the interests of these vulnerable children would not be served by forcing them to co-habit with the mainstream. The latter group, it may be noted, has its own problems which have not, as yet, rubbed off on the former.

The reply that I received from Mr Mallen intimated that no-one but myself held such views. We are accustomed, where various social and welfare services are dealing with matters involving children, to being given to understand that all actions are taken with regard to the best interests of the children.

It is the opinion of a considerable number of people, in addition to myself, that no-one with a scrap of common sense could imagine that this principle holds true in the case of the "co-location" of children who for many years have been seen to benefit from being separately located.

To put it plainly, we believe that they will be victimised, led astray, humiliated and generally taken advantage of, and it is utterly wrong that they should suffer as a result of political expediency; by which I mean that there are too many people, particularly in public service, who prefer to keep their heads in the sand with regard to the state of mainstream schools.

Furthermore, I believe, along with a few others, that the sale of the land adjacent to the school should be withheld pending an investigation into the feasibility of modernising Braithwaite School, preferably by people who are not biased against it.

J B SUNDERLAND

Braithwaite Road

Keighley

SIR - Like Councillor Thorne and Tracey Foyd reported in last week's Keighley News, I am very concerned about the current review proposals for special education in Bradford.

I have a six-year-old daughter with Downs syndrome who is presently being educated within the mainstream school system. At the moment her needs are being met and she is very happy in school. However, what will happen to her in the future?

The present proposals are taking away parental choice by drastically cutting the numbers of special schools and places available and not offering any alternatives.

We are told that improvements are being made so that more special children can be educated in mainstream education. But these improvements are not visible.

Bradford is facing difficulties fulfiling its statutory obligations for statements never mind its other responsibilities for supporting families and schools. I wonder how the six special schools proposed can provide quality outreach advice to the 200 plus mainstream schools within Bradford?

Is Education Bradford proposing an elitist special education system, with all the specialist resources going to a few state-of-the-art special schools and everyone else forgotten?

I urge families to think very carefully about this review because Bradford Education is not planning to review mainstream provision for special children and our needs are being forgotten in the current review.

David McNulty

Elm View, Steeton

SIR - With reference to the letter in last week's KN headed "Library praise" by Karen Worden, has she not been reading our letters to you regarding Keighley Library?

I have had several letters printed by you regarding the library, also the councillors have sent in letters.

Keighley Town Council, since it first came into existence, has been in touch with Bradford Council regarding the state of the building.

We have written asking for councillors to visit to inspect the damage and poor state of repairs, to no avail.

I myself asked Cllr Simon Cooke when he came to a council meeting, why could not the money raised from the sale of old schools in Keighley be used for its repair?

I was told that the money goes into council funds. The disposal of Victoria School, at Utley, I presume, will take place some time in the future. Why can this money not be spent on the library or is that too much to expect.

All Bradford councillors will be up for re-election in May next year, I would ask all Keighley's Bradford councillors to lobby Bradford Met to get this fine building repaired and redecorated in time for the centenary of our library.

If they are not willing to do this they should stand down. I implore them to put Keighley first on their priority list.

We on Keighley Town Council deplore the way we are being treated at Keighley. We have got the chair lift repaired, it only took nine months. Why was this?

How long will it take to get the structural repairs done? Your guess is as good as mine.

L W BROCKLESBY

Keighley town councillor

Spring Gardens and

Utley Ward

Sir - I noted with interest your reader's comments about the restoration of the Keighley "Carnegie" Library to its former glory.

Had Ms Worden taken any interest in the business of the council when it formed 18 months ago, she would have found that the library had been discussed at every meeting since then, particularly by Cllr Laurence Brocklesby, and indeed has been raised with various Bradford councillors, to no avail.

As Bradford Council tends to ignore most things that Keighley Town Council does, we are grateful that Cllr Glen Miller has come in at the 11th hour to help.

Ms Worden must also be aware that it was Bradford Council's intention to "sell off" its assets to a partner in order to raise much needed cash for its deteriorating buildings (including the library).

Thanks to the foresight of Keighley Town Council and the other parish and town councils in the Bradford district and Unison, the town halls, heritage buildings and sports and leisure complexes have been saved from this fate.

We look forward to the library being restored to its former glory in the very near future.

Cllr NANCY HOLDSWORTH

Town Mayor

SIR - Karen Worden has praised the Bradford Council "paid", Keighley-based, Worth Valley district councillor Glen Miller who, she says, has, "with enthusiasm and energy", seemingly alone, supported the restoration of Keighley Library this year.

Sorry Karen, your admiration for the efforts of Cllr Miller and his endeavours regarding Keighley Library is somewhat misplaced.

If you had read the Keighley News as assiduously as I do you should have noticed that the 30 unpaid Keighley town councillors have consistently, both through the columns of this newspaper and in council chambers, pleaded with Keighley district councillors to approach their pay masters in Bradford concerning the structural deterioration of the library.

My personal notes would also indicate that many years ago, the maintenance of Keighley Library even then was an issue.

Not one district councillor offered assistance as the founding members of the Aire-Worth Reform Association reported our concerns of the library's deterioration, a situ tion that caused us and a few others to blow harder on the spark that created the Keighley Town Council, a body that district councillors and their cohorts tried initially to extinguish, but now merely sideline.

David Samuels

Ex-Keighley town

councillor,

Oxenhope

SIR - Having read your recent front page headline regarding "Sex ring", I was filled with disbelief that a matter of such magnitude has been going on for so long and so pathetically little done to apprehend those perverted animals responsible.

Top police aware since February; top MPs aware 18 months ago; Bradford Social Services which knows; Asian leaders aware ten years ago and these profess to be guardians of Keighley's Community, enough said!

Police Supt Whyman stated he "did not think there had been any systematic exploitation". What does he want as proof, a duly signed letter of intent? -- surely 60 named Asian men is enough.

MP Ann Cryer at least took some action in reporting the matter to our illustrious Home Secretary -- response: pending.

Mr Hussain I'm sorry to say lives on his own planet, his comments are from that stock phrase book most of us threw away at 12 years of age ... "don't blame us ..."

Events happening in our childhood have a bearing on our adult lives What scars will these children have? What opinions will they have of their guardians of Keighley?

I would prefer that my feelings and views are not lost or dismissed as the rambling of an old man but hailed as the stifled views and feeling of the honest upright citizens of Keighley who are consistently treated as second class.

D WALTON

Emily Street, Keighley

Sir - Next week is walk to schools week in the Bradford area.

I understand the principle of this, healthier children and parents, less cars outside schools and less traffic at school times.

However, I left the car at home the other day, placed my baby in the pram and set off for school.

After I had negotiated two sets of roadworks, road signs, parked cars and overhanging ivy, all of which were near impossible with a pram, many times making me walk on the busy Halifax Road, I have to say that until the pavements are useable I will probably be using the car.

MICHELLE CORCORAN

Halifax Road

Ingrow

SIR - I read in the KN last week that the police can't do anything about the inconsiderate oafs who let off fireworks before bonfire night, so we have to endure the racket they make weeks before and weeks after.

And why do we celebrate plot night -- because of Guy Fawkes. And who was Guy Fawkes -- a terrorist who was going to blow up the Houses of Parliament.

It all seems a bit crazy now why we ever celebrate bonfire night, but as a child I loved plot night once a year.

On November 5, we watched fireworks but those we hear now are nothing like I remember, they are just bang, bang, bang!

KATHLEEN GREENWOOD

Strawberry Street, Keighley

SIR - I find myself writing this letter to say that it is about time that the council and the Government did something about the state of our trees. They are a health and safety issue.

They hang over the main roads and become top heavy. Public safety must come first at all times.

The trees in Skipton Road need trimming now before an accident occurs, killing someone, probably an innocent passer-by.

If someone dies, would they say "It is an act of God" but really it is due to man's stupidity.

Please do not leave these trees any longer than necessary.

HARRY HANSON

Highfield Road, Keighley