Letters to the Editor

As a volunteer helper at The Carers' Resource, I see the difference it makes to carers' lives by providing help which is specific to each carer's case and is sometimes literally a lifeline.

Practical and emotional support, training courses, breaks from caring, help for young carers - a wider range of support is available. So is advice on finding a way through the welfare benefits maze.

One carer said: "Half way through those benefits forms, you lose the will to live."

These are unpaid carers of all ages, who look after other members of the family, sometimes full time. They have been described as hidden heroes (more often they are heroines). They save many millions to the taxpayer by keeping those they care for from becoming a cost to the NHS.

Even in cold financial terms the case for funding the carer support workers is compelling. Surely it's time for a re-think at the "flexible and responsive" PCT.

Jack Foster, Firs Avenue, Harrogate.

SIR - Bravo Mr Jack MacPherson. I too am tired of listening to the Bradford whingers.

I lived for 27 years in a London borough and was delighted to be able to return to the sanity, convenience and friendliness of this city.

Bradford has its faults. Most places have. But it still has a lot going for it and might be improved by a little more loyalty from its inhabitants.

One thing intrigues me; if people dislike the city so much, why are they still living here? If they had any get-up-and-go they would have got up and gone.

Mrs S C Copley, Canford Drive, Allerton.

SIR - It is good to see so much development in the centre of Bradford. Restoring these magnificent buildings to use is long overdue.

Asquith Properties have restored Broadgate House to 85 luxury apartments and are seeking planning permission to build 66 new apartments in the neighbouring Stonegate House.

This brings Asquith Properties' investment in the city to over £20 million providing affordable luxury to rival that of Leeds at a fraction of the cost.

Russell Baker, chairman of Asquith Properties, has said that "building in Britain's tenth largest city is a superb opportunity".

Ian Linley, Broadgate House, Manor Row, Bradford.

SIR - The war with Iraq seems to be drawing to its inevitable conclusion: a victory for Britain and the United States.

This has been a one-sided contest. Whatever happened to the weapons of mass destruction? The answer seems to be that no such weapons existed at the time that this illegal war was launched and that Mr Bush and Mr Blair knew this.

There are very few people who will lose any sleep at the demise of Saddam Hussein and his regime, but there are many of us who will mourn the loss of Britain's international reputation, especially the reputation of those in the Labour Party who have told lie after lie to justify Britain siding with one of the most racist and right wing administrations that the United States has ever produced.

This war has been launched solely with the aim of re-colonising the Middle East.

The people of Iraq did nothing to threaten the security of Britain and the United States but thousands of Iraqi civilians, including women and children, have been slaughtered by uranium-tipped and cluster bombs.

If no weapons of mass destruction or their means of delivery are found, Mr Blair will have lied to us and if he has any honour left he will resign.

Sean Connor, Cunliffe Road, Bradford 8.

SIR - I see that Mubarik Iqbal is still opening her poisonous mouth against Britain and America (March 26). She is doing this in a country where she knows she is free from tyranny and death and torture. If she thinks Islamic countries are as good as she says, why doesn't she go and live in one?

In Iraq, I think that the coalition forces should shoot everyone in front of them carrying a rifle because half of them are Iraqi soldiers in civilian clothes and will shoot them in the back when they pass. Also, if I was over there as a soldier and came across any of these so-called human shields, I would shoot them like the traitors they are.

N Brown, Peterborough Place, Undercliffe.

SIR - I must say I was delighted to see our own Karl Dallas's smiling face beaming at me from the pages of the T&A, although I admit I was a little mystified because I thought he was still "Human Shielding" in Baghdad.

Nevertheless I welcome him safely back to our evil, satanic, infidel Western shores where I believe he is to stand as a candidate in our local elections!

I wonder whether Karl, along with all the other deluded do-gooders, has ever considered how much the Iraqi people would relish the thought of free, democratic elections in their country.

That is what the coalition is aiming for, but apparently what the peaceniks want to prevent.

M Wood, Westercroft View, Northowram.

SIR - In response to the letter from Mr Neil Hurrell of Queensbury. I believe the likes of Karl Dallas and his "chums" (as Mr Hurrell called them) are showing the Government exactly what the British think of this war. The only problem is that the likes of Blair and Bush don't seem to care what the public think.

Maybe Mr Hurrell and his "chums" can tell the readers their views on this war and what they have done to get them across to the Government. Or do they support the atrocities that are occurring in Iraq at the moment?

Andy Bowers, Woodpecker Close, Allerton

SIR - Once we have finished spending billions of taxpayers' money, and scores of our servicemen's lives, for the "liberation of Iraq", are we going to repatriate the Iraqis who fled from Saddam to Britain? Or are we going to let them bring their families over here to pose another burden on hardworking British taxpayers?

N Hurrell, The Pickerings, Queensbury.

SIR - What a shame Saeeda Naz does not feel able to give his support to "Our Boys" on the grounds that we are fighting in a cowardly manner.

If that were fact, given the power of the coalition the war would have been over on Day One. We are not the ones who used gas, chemicals, suicide bombers, hide behind human shields, use Red Crescent ambulances to ambush.

Saddam Hussein has killed hundreds of thousands of his own people including children, not with fighter jets but in the most barbaric ways.

Did he have a just cause? If only we could put Saddam, his sons, and the rest of the barbarians on a front line to face all these thousands - that would be just.

Aren't we lucky to be free to exchange views in the open press in this way - thanks to "Our Boys" again in 1939-45.

When the full horrors of this regime are revealed, perhaps Saeeda Naz too will be able to say this was a just cause and then the Iraqi people too will have a voice.

Ann Batterton, Bradford Road, Bradford 12

SIR - In response to the letter from Mrs W Chapman of Moorside Gardens (T&A, April 4). As a driving instructor I feel very strongly about the complaints she is making about learner drivers using this road to do their reverse manoeuvre.

I do not know if she has a driving licence, but if so, then did she not learn to drive? All learners have to do these manoeuvres to be able to pass the official driving test.

It is no good learning in an industrial estate as she requests, as this does not constitute today's roads and their conditions.

Does Mrs Chapman really sit at her window and count the number of learner drivers on this road, as she stated "40 at least"? I find this really hard to comprehend that anyone would want to do this.

I am sure that other driving instructors agree that learners have to do their manoeuvres somewhere and if everyone complained about them being on their road, then they would have no roads to be able to do these manoeuvres on. Everyone has a right to learn to drive on public roads.

Anthony Coates, Averingcliffe Road, Eccleshill, Bradford 10.