SIR - I'm amazed those bright young Asian businessmen don't feel patronised at these Asian Businessman Award nights. Asians have been here three generations and are well and truly established in every sphere of society. Surely they deserve to be compared with businessmen of all cultures.

Unnecessary and crass stereotyping of his nature doesn't bring harmony to our society; it actually causes divisions.

When lottery grants are given to Asian mother and baby groups it gives succour for the far right who will see this as manna from heaven for their causes.

The PC brigade doubtless rub their hands with glee at what they will perceive as positive stereotyping.

In reality it is zealous gesturing in the direction of a people who do not appear to need such a helping hand in life.

B A Houseman, Coach Road, Baildon.

SIR - Schools, hospitals, railways and roads are in a shambolic state yet this Government considers that these issues can be set aside so that the Labour Party can indulge in its ignorant and prejudiced class hatred, namely the abolishing of hunting.

It is acceptable that the entertaining venting of Sid Brown should be aired because as an individual his views are as relevant as the next person, but for four of our highly paid local Labour MPs to waste parliamentary time on a subject which has already proved to be a farce in Scotland reveals them as class warriors of the worst kind.

As an important debate on the hospitals was set aside for this nonsense they can now explain to sufferers awaiting hip replacements and other painful illnesses that they got their priorities right.

Also if the police act with the same alacrity they showed in defending Tony Martin from his serial predators this will become just another unenforceable law as country people all over England defend their lawful rights. Hopefully the Lords will bin the idea.

Geoffrey Holmes, The Grove, Idle.

SIR - I am sure that Chief Super-intendent Reid knows his legal duties better than his critics (T&A, July 8) and does not need lectures from them. He is not patronising them. He speaks from an overview of the situation. Such sane comments are welcome to combat the paranoia of the tabloid press.

The Government is taking tough measures against immigrants, separating them into "residential camps" causing protests from Liberty groups.

We should remember that we, the UK, produce asylum seekers. How? We sell arms, for profit, to repressive regimes who terrorise their dissidents, causing them to flee or be killed.

Look at all the wars that are going on in the world. Somebody is paying the price.

Bernard Whittaker, Scott Lane West, Riddlesden.

SIR - Much is said about the ineffectiveness of the police service and the inability to respond to calls from the public.

The leaders of our local constabulary make much about crime reduction and positive policing with this squad and that squad concentrating on particular aspects of police activity.

That could be the trouble. Perhaps the leaders of the squads accept no other work that does not fall into their remit and even if they are having a quiet time in their particular responsibilities decline to accept any other incidents.

Also, how many officers who should be able to engage in front-line policing are actually in desk jobs on a permanent basis doing tasks readily able to be undertaken by civilian staff?

Benjamin Jowett, Thornton Road, Thornton.

SIR - By far the worst aspect of the loss of the X81 bus (T&A Letters, July 8) is that we are now back to only a half-hour service between Halifax and Bradford, with the 681, a service which frequently runs late, and whose buses are often - especially at peak times, and on journeys immediately after concessionary fares begin - full by the time they reach Odsal from Halifax, and vice-versa.

It is time we had a decent service on this route: every ten minutes, like its counterpart via Queensbury, or at least every 20 minutes, like the 72, and co-ordinated with the 508 between Odsal and Halifax.

K A Webster, Abb Scott Lane, Bradford 6.

SIR - What an excellent idea to have special walks within the city of Bradford to boost health. I would like to add further initiatives having recently returned from Medellin in Colombia. There the local city council has a number of simple and innovative ways to help people take more exercise.

These include closing some roads to cars, buses and lorries on Sundays so that people can walk, run and cycle in safety. These roads are mainly alongside rivers and parks etc. It also provides music and exercise co-ordinators in public parks and large car parks at designated times during the week - free.

Many people in Medellin take part in these group exercises. It is an excellent way to encourage health and well-being.

I am sure the Bradford City Primary Care Trust, Bradford Council, Sure Start and Sport Action Zone could do a similar for Bradford.

Bill Reilly, Pearson Lane, Bradford 9.

SIR - I am so glad you are bringing the state of the Bradford streets to the public's attention, especially round Carlisle Road and Whetley Hill.

I was born in Bradford many years ago, and now I very rarely go, because it breaks my heart to see it now. It isn't just the rubbish, the houses look shocking! Don't the people who live in them understand how to look after their homes? It was a lovely place when I was young, especially Manningham Lane. We used to "prom" on there. It makes me cry when I see it now.

I wish something could be done to make people see what a difference it would make if they just put their rubbish in the bins provided. The Council do their best. It is up to the public to help.

Mrs F Pickles, Wade House Road, Shelf.

SIR - Those members of the Taliban wing of the Church of England (which regrettably seems to include the current Bishop and many of his sycophants) would do well to remember the silent majority of CoE members who wish for nothing more than that it ministers to the three essential church attendances for all English men and women - birth, marriage (gay or otherwise) and death.

If they want a narrow church based on a fundamentalist interpretation of an outdated and largely forgotten book then they should remove themselves from our state church and join some happy-clappy cult where they will do less damage.

David Simpson, Hirst Avenue, Heckmondwike.

SIR - Re David Barnett's column, "Is Church out of step with the 21st Century?" (T&A, July 8).

The Church is never out of step in any century.

Different times need to teach different lessons, but all churches exist to teach how to know God better and surely this is learned by being "a good example". Nuff said.

Mrs S Wilkinson, Reevy Avenue, Bradford 6.

SIR - I would like to express my gratitude to the nurses and doctors on Ward F6 at St Luke's Hospital, Bradford, who showed a high level of care and understanding while nursing my grandmother through her last days.

Whenever I visited the ward or phoned for an update, I was treated with courtesy and kindness by all the staff from the ward manager down to the ward clerk. It is always difficult coming to terms with an imminent loss, but it was made much easier when such kindness was shown by an entire team. I take my hat off to them all!

A C Clark (Registered Nurse), Porters Avenue, Dagenham, Essex.

SIR - Once again this ludicrous Government shows its true colours towards the people who have kept this country's head above water for the last 80 years or so.

Not only is it an insult to all these people from 50 onwards who are having their pensions eroded by raids on pension funds, but now they want the same people to work to 70 years of age. For what? To keep the bogus asylum seekers or any other freeloader who hops across the water by whatever means. That's what for!

Yes, Mr Blair, while you are crusading in foreign lands, somebody here will be plotting to take it all away from you, we hope. Enjoy your armour-plated pensions while the rest of us who have really worked for our wages try to get by on the pensions we have truly earned, not had given.

Michael McGann, Broomcroft, Clayton.