SIR - The sadness on reading of the poor result of St Augustine's Ofsted inspection is intensified by the knowledge that there was a wonderful school in Undercliffe which had an excellent Ofsted report a couple of years ago, but closed under the Council's reorganisation plan.

Bradford Council really let down the children of Undercliffe when they closed Wapping Primary School. St Augustine's now use the old Wapping building and some of the old Wapping staff still work at the school. It is painful to think what they must be going through at the moment, especially knowing that the last time they went through an Ofsted inspection they were very highly praised.

I was the last chairman of governors at Wapping and we worked very closely with St Augustine's to make sure the demise of our school and the expansion of theirs went as smoothly and as successfully as possible. This news makes me feel that the hard work of governors, staff, parents and children was all in vain.

There are some extremely dedicated people working at St Augustine's and I think the parents of the school are right to be optimistic about the future. Good luck to them.

Barry Collins, Bolton Road, Bradford 3.

SIR - At the beginning of last year my boyfriend and I went to Haworth. We parked in one of the top car parks and as we hadn't enough change overpaid 20p for the ticket. Unfortunately we stayed around 10-15 minutes late and had been clamped.

I wonder how many minutes exactly E R Evans means when he states he "allows many minutes over the expired time" before clamping (Letters, July 12)?

To make the situation worse, the amount we had overpaid would, when worked out per minute, have covered us for the few minutes we were late.

My boyfriend paid the £40 fee and upon returning home, wrote a letter to complain about the unfairness of the fine, even enclosing a SAE so we could be notified of any decision made.

We are still waiting. If E R Evans likes he can return the 20p overpaid and the price of the first-class stamp on the SAE and we can just forget the whole thing.

V Mitchell, Swallow Fold, Lower Grange, Bradford 8.

SIR - Regarding the West Bowling man who was jailed for setting fire to houses in the area.

I used to see him in the park with his dog until recently - a quiet, pleasant man. What therefore motivated him into acts of destruction?

It would seem the authorities let him down. The police did not deal with youths who tormented him and stoned his house.

Why do you have to put up with ridicule in the streets form youths, if you are someone who is different?

Also the Council didn't re-home him in time.

It just seems sad in light of efforts to build harmony in Bradford.

M Loxam, Parkway, West Bowling, Bradford.

SIR - Ah, diddums! Mr Morley has got all upset about those nasty men Mr Brack and Mr Rhodes writing horrid things about his festival (T&A, report, July 8). Why did they have to do that and spoil all his fun. What do they know about running festivals anyway?

They've only been running one of the most successful, entertaining and fun events in Europe for over ten years. And they are so anti-Bradford that they spent years of their life encouraging people to come here for the festival and thus share in the city's culture.

It ill becomes someone new to running Bradford Festival to criticise experienced people who some residents regard as local heroes. Perhaps more time in Bradford will make Mr Morley less defensive and more in tune with the culture of this great city.

Let us hope so if we have any hope of achieving success for 2008.

J Grint, Dudley Hill Road, Bradford 2.

Sir - The council meeting of July 9 seemed to go the way all Bulls supporters expected, i.e. nothing ventured and nothing gained! Could I as a disenfranchised Bradfordian point out that the money invested in the stadium is from the people of Bradford. Why don't we ask them, what they think?

I know the investment that the people of Bradford will have to make is not inconsiderable. However, this investment is not without its return and I might add that over the last few years the return has outstripped the investment.

And then we have the community efforts which are a vital part of the modern day Bulls ethic.

The work in the schools and with youngsters of all ages and creeds is probably worth the £660,000 the Council has granted for vital health and safety work. Let's face it, if because of the players and the club's efforts, just ten youngsters have been motivated away from a life of crime, the city would have been saved from housing and keeping them in some secure institution, this would acount for possibly £500,000.

The Bulls and the Bantams are part of yours and your children's heritage. Remember no-one would have heard of Wigan if it hadn't been for Wigan RLFC and Wigan Pier.

John Tudor, Lillands Terrace, Rastrick, Brighouse.

SIR - Some Muslim correspondents inform us that they are here in Bradford because they were invited. In fact only about 5,000 were invited here, by textile employers, to fill the shoes of white Bradfordians thoroughly sick of hard labour and poor pay.

Many arrived in indifferent health, poorly clad and shod, speaking not a word of English. They were not immigrants in the real sense of the word; most came intending to earn a few pounds, send most back home to purchase enough land for subsistence farming and then return "home".

The benefits of democratic Britain changed all that. Wives and children were sent for. Once settled, many children were returned to Pakistan for early marriage, resulting in half of the union never learning English. Children were sent to school in large numbers speaking only Urdu.

Unless more Muslims change, poverty and under-achievement will be passed down from one generation to the next.

Les Brotherton, Caroline Street, Saltaire.

SIR - The Chancellor makes a Budget, then someone in Whitehall suggests stealth taxes, such as paying for rubbish collection which we pay for in council tax.

This is giving carte blanche for fly tipping, when we are already ankle deep in filth.

House sales are taxed, both selling and buying. Now there is talk of messing about with postage stamps and a suggestion of cutting back on pension schemes by not paying your spouse when you die etc.

This is a government that calls itself a government for the people. What a laugh.

Mr Blunkett says he wants to fly the St George's flag, but they should be flying the 'Jolly Roger' skull and crossbones.

N Brown, Peterborough Place, Undercliffe, Bradford.

SIR - Yesterday, I went to visit a friend of mine who is a patient in St Luke's Hospital. It must be over 30 years since I last visited and what a revelation!

I was overwhelmed to see the neatly cut lawns and beautiful rose bushes and flowers. It is like a hospital within a park.

Congratulations and best wishes to all who have helped to make this "A thing of beauty and a joy forever".

Mrs H W Illingworth, Victoria Avenue, Shipley.

SIR - Wouldn't one way of easing traffic congestion be to raise the age to drive from 17 to 21 as in America? This would also have the double effect of saving lives and serious injury.

Iain Morris, Caroline Street, Shipley.

SIR - I am trying to trace a man who I served with while we were both doing National Service at RAF El Aden, North Africa, from 1958 to 1960.

His name was Maurice Alvin, and he came from the Bradford area.

If he would get in touch with me, or if any one knows of his whereabouts, I shall be most grateful.

Barry T Arnold, Glenross, 38 Rose Avenue, Calow, Chesterfield, S44 5TH.