SIR - Without consensus to make UN Resolution 1441 meaningful, perhaps the best approach for Messrs Bush and Blair is to blow the ghastly shambles that is the UN out of the water, not by going to war but by complying with 'world opinion' while making that opinion pay the price.

1 Stop spending UK/US taxpayers' money enforcing sanctions and 'no-fly' zones.

2 Ditto all other UN sanctioned military activity. Immediate withdrawal of UK/US troops from all such operations, including the Balkans.

A gruesome axis between triumphant Saddam and post-forthcoming revolution Saudi Arabia would be highly dangerous? Tough! The UK and US should merely secure their own strategic access to oil supplies by military protection of key Gulf states - Kuwait, UAE, Qatar and Oman.

For the UK this would involve fundamental reallocation of military resources, with full withdrawal from Germany as well as from UN work, then resiting in the key states. One (UK) Armoured Division, plus four or five RAF combat squadrons, with appropriate logistics.

'Containment' of Iraq should be via unequivocal Cold War-style nuclear threat, with presumption of guilt in event of delivery by proxy terrorists.

Are the UN sure they know what they're doing?

M Pollard, Moorfield Drive, Baildon.

Sir - It was with some amazement I read that Tony Blair intimated he would go to war without a second resolution from the UN.

I was always under the impression the reason we joined the European Union was exactly that, the European states would be "United". It appears that our 'leader' may now go it alone with the US.

If that is the case, then if there is an attack on Iraq he should be put in the dock like all other war criminals have been, and still are being for the atrocities of war. Because he is no longer the voice of the people!

Dean Loynes, North Parade, Bradford.

SIR - Whatever next? When thousands of refugees, illegal immigrants and asylum seekers enter Britain and are met with open arms, food, money and shelter, every day, how come a lone American tourist, invited here by friends who will look after her for three months at their home at no expense to we tax payers, is refused entry?

She had her own money, tickets for the train plus a return airline ticket and was planning to spend a holiday in our great country.

Instead she was humiliated and sent back home after a seven-hour grilling and treated like a criminal.

I just cannot imagine how this could happen. It is abominable and the immigration people responsible should be ashamed of themselves and admonished severely.

I would like to offer Victoria Clark and her friends a sincere apology.

Gwenllian Bailey, Northcote Road, Bradford 2.

SIR - So the reason for the degeneration of Ravenscliffe Estate is at last made public.

Under privatisation, Bradford is being carved up and shared in deals and jobs for the boys. Council estates are being exploited for land. Engineered degeneration ensures luxury private development the space it needs. The grand Holywell scheme is not really meant for Ravenscliffe tenants. It is not surprising to hear of the Council's broken promises regarding tenants' homes. The new housing trusts' business will be conducted and based on profit motives in order to pay back the bankers' high interest and maintain their executives' obscene salaries.

I for one will not be signing up to the new tenancy agreement. The law states it is illegal to enforce the surrender of a secure tenancy.

Eileen Allen, Reevy Road West, Buttershaw.

SIR - In a recent Who's Counting item Hector Mildew mentioned uninsured drivers, the derisory penalties they face when prosecuted and the difficulties that you could face when trying to sue such a driver should you as another road user be involved in an incident/accident with them.

In such cases the assistance of the Motor Insurers Bureau should be sought. They will cover claims by any road user (driver, rider or pedestrian) who is injured by an uninsured driver and then they (the MIB) will do their utmost to get money from the uninsured driver.

The MIB will also act should your vehicle be extensively damaged by an identified uninsured driver.

Also, I was pleased to see that Ilkley Parish councillors rejected the use of laser speed devices by civilians. They should only be used by trained uniformed police officers who on detecting a speeding driver would have the necessary powers to stop such a driver and either report him/her or issue a fixed penalty ticket.

Brian Pickford, Summerbridge Crescent, Eccleshill.

SIR - I recently needed to purchase a new twin-phone adapter for an extra internet connection for a second computer system in my home.

I first tried Focus DIY. Theirs were £3.98 and not even gold-plated. B&Q didn't have any, so on my way home I tried the QLM store at Bolton Junction and bought one for 79p (same quality, same connections, same type of packaging, though different brand, although probably the same manufacturer). Talk about 300 per cent mark-up or what!

So it pays to shop around, even though you might have to travel a bit.

M D Crossley, Farm Hill Road, Eccleshill.

SIR - As regular travellers on the buses which go up and down Manchester Road, we are annoyed to see all the bulbs and new trees which have been planted by the council at the bottom end of Manchester Road, indeed as far up as just above the Mayo roundabout.

We live at the Bankfoot end of Rooley Lane and never see any bulbs or plants provided by the Council.

There is quite a large patch of grass at Bankfoot just above the Red Lion pub.

Why can't we have that made beautiful with bulbs, trees etc?

The area at this end of Rooley Lane at Bankfoot could be made very attractive if it was planted out and maybe a couple of seats for the older people who live on the other side of the road, to sit on.

Come on Bradford, let us have the place for the higher council tax rate payers improved. We deserve it.

Mrs B Womersley and Mrs E Pemberton, Hall Bank Close, Bankfoot.

SIR - Re Richard Mozejko's letter about animal cruelty (March 11).

There is a world of difference between animals tortured and killed for the pleasure of sadists, and animals stunned (which the law requires) and killed for food.

However, what he described, animals hung upside down and allowed to bleed to death fully conscious, is practised by some religions and is allowed in this country, which I too think is abominable.

L Dobson, Stonecroft, Bradford 2.

SIR - Having made my donation to Comic Relief I feel excused if this letter appears churlish.

The more I saw of the BBC's offering, the more uncomfortable I felt. It wasn't the continual assault on my conscience that concerned me but the programme's presenters.

Fronted by the obnoxious Jonathan Ross, right, whose nasty jibe regarding children's pocket-money donations reflected his loathsome personality, the evening showcased individuals with a common denomination - personal wealth.

Inflated egos on inflated salaries funded by licence payers, each probably a millionaire, their presence made an unfortunate juxtaposition with those whose cause they were championing. It merely illustrated why there are millions of starving in the world. It can be summed up in one word: greed.

In this affluent and accessible world there can be no excuse for allowing a minority to be born into such suffering. A priority mandate of governments of all nations, whatever the party in power, should be to address this issue.

Wealth should be redistributed and the Third World developed sufficiently, so scenes as witnessed on Friday are eradicated.

Gandhi said there's enough wealth in the world to satisfy every man's need, but not enough to satisfy every man's greed. He was spot on.

Mike Brotherton, Grove Road, Shipley.