SIR - On reading the "Court File" column on June 26, I noticed that a number of the cases were motoring offences, mainly driving without insurance, licence or MOT certificate etc.

To my astonishment I found that the punishments meted out by the courts for these offences ranged from a variety of small fines and short bans to a conditional discharge.

I have been a car driver for 32 years and, like the majority of law-abiding citizens, have always paid my road tax and insurance etc.

Two years ago I had the misfortune to pass a traffic light just as it turned red and was photographed by an enforcement camera. Result - a £40 fine plus three points on my licence. The points on my licence have resulted in further costs to myself through increased insurance premiums for three years.

My son has just paid £840 to insure his first car!

It's no wonder that there are so many people driving about in Bradford without insurance and driving licences. It obviously pays!

What happens to the unfortunate people who are involved in accidents with uninsured and unlicensed drivers?

Come on, courts! Let's have some proper justice to act as a real deterrent to these people!

R Bailey, Hunter's Park Avenue, Clayton.

SIR - In the three months since I last wrote to you about Manningham Mills, all that has happened is that Kala Sangam Asian Arts have been given £1.5 million by the Arts Council and have promptly said that they will construct a purpose-built Art Centre, probably in Lister Park, and leave the Carlisle Business Centre close to Manningham Mills.

We now have a report from English Heritage that the mills "are in a very bad state" and seriously at risk!

Can anyone seriously believe that the owners' request for "gap funding" of £5 million will do other than preserve a very small part of the mills leaving the rest to be demolished and developed for other purposes?

Yorkshire Forward, the city and English Heritage must know this but do nothing. They realise this is just the start of strident demands for ever more money to try to preserve everything which cannot be justified on any grounds!

As I have suggested many times before, why not sit down all concerned and settle a plan that requires no public money, allows some commercial viable development and demolish the rest thus making way for new uses for which there is a demand?

R G Jennings, Priestley Hall, Lady Park Avenue, Bingley.

SIR - The other day my husband had the misfortune to trip and have an argument with a pebble-dashed garage. He was quite badly hurt - stunned, bloody, cut and (we thought) fractured in a couple of places.

Our neighbours were fantastic, caring for him while I called the emergency services, and the lady on the phone was also brilliant, calming me and making sure she had all the relevant information.

The ambulance was with us within five minutes and our own personal paramedics, as they styled themselves, worked on him for about 20 minutes before taking us to A&E.

The staff there gave us both the best of attention. I am diabetic and was by then beginning to be in need of food. No problem. Sandwich and cup of tea in no time at all, after my insulin.

I sincerely wish it was in my power to award them the pay rise that Tony Blair has seen fit to award himself. My husband, who is 81, is much better today and hopefully will soon be back to his normal good health. He adds his grateful thanks to mine.

We thank God that there are still such good people in the world.

Joan J Hemmingway, Middlebrook Hill, Bradford 8.

SIR - The T&A urges people to view the UDP and have a say in the future of Bradford. Well, folk can look all they want, but it has become all too clear that as far as the Council is concerned, they will not have a voice.

The turnout at the elections gave a clear indication of how people now feel about the aloofness shown by those elected to power. The few we elected to represent us as a council ignore public opinion and sell off our public assets and land as if it belongs to them and them alone.

Bradford Council has not listened to the people of Thornton who wanted to keep their baths. It is not representing the many trying to hang on to our ever-declining green areas and it is certainly ignoring the council-house tenants who do not want their homes privatised and their housing needs sacrificed for private development.

The Council once again has heard what people said, ignored it and got on with its own agenda. The only say we seem to have at the moment is to ask do we have a voice and is there anyone out there representing us?

J Haworth, Highdale Road, Clayton Heights.

SIR - I would like to take the opportunity, through your paper, to give the ward councillors for Lower Grange and Allerton, Heartsmart and Barnardo's the recognition they so rightly deserve.

Thank you Trevor Simper at Heartsmart for all the support you have given to Lower Grange and Bell Dean Road residents during our campaign for a better transport service.

With Trevor's involvement, we have achieved a better bus service, which will be of particular help to senior citizens in our area.

I hope also that the service will help many young families who struggle to get their shopping home from the supermarket because the current service is inadequate and the cost is prohibitive.

The new service, although not perfect, is a step in the right direction. It will run for a trial period of nine months, and if successful, could be improved further.

We are also negotiating for a Shopper Hopper service into the supermarket grounds. It is up to us as a community to give all our support - we must use the service, or lose it!

Maggi Chapman, Transport Action Group.

SIR - May we take this opportunity to thank the people of Bradford who have supported the work of the Yorkshire Cancer Research Ladies Committee over the last 40 years.

In that time we have raised more than £460,000 and last week we were able to see some of the results of our work when a new purpose-built laboratory was opened at Bradford University.

After 40 years of working, some of our ladies now find it difficult to help in fund raising, so we need new helpers.

If you have time to spare and would like to help, then we would be pleased to hear from you. Please ring (01274) 677237.

Mrs Mildred Knapton, treasurer, St Helena Road, Bradford 6.