SIR - I was reading with interest about Asda's fears that they may not get planning permission to build a supermarket off Bradford Road.

Of course they make a big play about the number of jobs they will create.

My view is commercial interest sometimes needs to be put against the environment.

We have Morrison's, Sainsbury's, Aldi in the town centre, along with Focus.

Morrison's are building a garage with associated traffic lights and hold up of traffic on Worth Way. Even on Hard Ings Road we have two garages, two retail parks, a McDonald's and a KFC.

The traffic problem in Keighley is terrible. Traffic queuing all along North Street, South Street and Bradford Street, and at all approaches to Hard Ings Road, both ends.

Living up Long Lee, the only road out to Keighley is to Coney Lane into Low Street or out Parkwood Street. Traffic, now including vans, is using the Twines, which is only suitable for light traffic. Another supermarket in Bradford Road and I may have to go via Cullingworth to get into town.

It is no good blaming motorists for all the snarl ups in the town centre. The planners must accept their share. All the time there are more developments going on, ie the new leisure fitness centre opposite Morrison's which causes more hold up to the flow of traffic.

If we have more supermarkets, we must have better road infrastructure or make new and better roads round Keighley and make the town centre pedestrian only. But of course it is difficult with three supermarkets and Cavendish Retail Park isn't it?

D WEBSTER

Willow Tree Close,

Long Lee

SIR - Your April Fool last week was not only far too easy to spot but also in bad taste.

'Police chief is concerned that victims are not bothering to report car crimes' was the headline. Pull the other one!

Only last year I rang 999, when a car veered across the road and hit mine in front of many witnesses (including an off duty police officer).

My vehicle sustained about £500 worth of damage, the other car was far more badly damaged, its radiator was badly punctured. However, it managed to reverse violently away and drive straight through a red light without a moment's hesitation.

The police did not respond to the 999 call. Too busy I presume?

Therefore, we took time out to write them a very lengthy letter explaining what had happened, when, where, all the witnesses' details etc.

However, our ever valiant local police force refuse to even record the crime let alone investigate it. The crime would only be logged if we took the time to report in person to Keighley police station and produce all our documents.

We also wrote to Ann Cryer, who seems happy with this situation, presumably because it keeps crime figures down.

The real message from West Yorkshire Police, to the long suffering residents of Keighley, seems to be, only ever report a crime if you have the time and patience to be investigated yourself. I do not.

Carolyn Mozejko

Bradford Road,

Riddlesden

SIR - I write to support L W Brocklesby's letter regarding the repairs which are needed to Keighley Library.

As he says, Keighley Library was the first Dale Carnegie Library to be built in this country and therefore should be preserved on historical grounds alone.

Another reason for my writing is to complain about the library lift. It has been out of order for at least six months, apparently awaiting spare parts from the Antipodes!

It is ironic that some committee sitting in the bowels of Bradford Town Hall should ignore the fact that Keighley has been the renowned centre for making reliable lifts for over a century and yet Keighley Library has been fitted with a lift made in Australia!

Come on, Barry, get your colleagues to get their committee fingers out and get the lift working in time for me to hear Mr Edward O'Brian's talk for the monthly 3rd Age Group meeting in the Library Theatre on Wednesday, May 7, at 10.30am, the subject being "Lady Anne Clifford."

She probably had no troubles with lifts, only a Civil War.

DERRICK GREEN

Upper School Street,

Steeton

SIR - It is with thanks to your publication of my letter and the assistance of Mayor Martin Leathley that Bradford City Council inform me that they are in process of issuing a cheque to me for the £59 credit that they have owed me for the past 12 months.

But they have refused to pay the 12 months accumulated interest on my £59, which in reality is my money, no matter how small that interest may be.

In my opinion, for the sole purpose of financial gain, it appears to be the policy of Bradford Council to purposely withhold the prompt payment to anyone in credit and at the same time defraud the same people of their interest on the accumulated credit.

KEN MATHER

Greenhead Road, Utley.

SIR - It would seem appropriate if the site of the former Haworth UDC depot is to be developed which contained the mortuary and later the fire station, that the carved named stonework and datestones 1907 and 1917 could be retained for erection elsewhere to create a link with the old council, which was amalgamated with Keighley in 1937.

Apart from the park there are few visual historic links left, many datestones in walls having been lost. One in Butt Lane giving directions to the railway station was lost at the time the by-pass was built.

Another on Sun Street with the lettering JA 1908, referred to James Ackroyd, who was the surveyor and Mayor of Haworth.

When road improvements took place at Ducking Well, the well was removed to Haworth Park, but was never erected because of the war. It still remained there up to the time when Bradford took control in 1974 but now no longer exists.

The tram ticket found in the house recently at Haworth brings to mind that even after the last war there still remained two metal lattice-work stanchions that carried the power for the trackless trams to Oxenhope and Haworth. One at the end of Hebden Road at Lees, the other at the former West Yorkshire bus terminus at Haworth.

F SLACK

Station Road, Haworth

SIR - On behalf on Keighley Rotary Club I would like to express our thanks to Mr Gribben of the Airedale Centre, Mr Wiseman, the manager of Boots, and the many other business people who assisted us with our 'Blood Pressure Day' on Saturday, April 5.

I would also like to thank the people who helped on the day in setting up the stand, manning it and encouraging people to visit.

Our biggest thankyou, however, goes to the people of Keighley who supported us so splendidly that we were testing one person every minute, making our final total 314.

ALAN AND SIDELLA

MORTEN

Greenhead Drive, Keighley

SIR - I have been building up a collection of Vespa Club memorabilia and, in particular, a collection of the metal 'cog' shaped badges that were made to commemorate club events or rallies or to show allegiance to a particular 'Branch' of the club.

In fact the tradition still continues, with the latest 'cog' being minted to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Vespa Club of Britain last year.

If any of your readers can help, either with badges or other memorabilia (even complete Vespas!), I would be pleased if they would contact me, either by e-mail on: vespa90man@yahoo.co.uk or by telephone on 020 8301 2333. I will pay a good price.

PETER SELLEY

Falconwood, Kent