Letters to the Editor

I'm sure that many people in Heaton would not share the prejudices expressed by the few residents you interviewed. No doubt these people live quite secure, affluent life styles and may have some sympathy with women, men and children who have been persecuted - but not in our backyard.

I would remind Manawar Akhtar that his remarks echo the prejudices against Asian migrant workers arriving in Bradford in the 1960s, and it is a disgrace that the Lord Mayor of a multi-cultural city (which aspires to be the European city of culture) should add to the prejudice.

Bradford has a long and honourable tradition of receiving political refugees - Jews, Basque children in the 1930s, Chileans in the 70s and later, Vietnamese, Bosnians and Kosovans - and I'm sure that many local residents will treat the asylum seekers with sympathy and respect.

David Stark, Bradford Immigration and Asylum Seekers Advice Network, Quarry Street, Heaton.

SIR - Within the past few months, asylum seekers were forced to leave a Bradford estate after their homes were vandalised.

To prevent this tragic event from being repeated requires any debate on asylum seekers to be calm, rational and well-informed. Instead the T&A (front page, March 27) offers us sensationalism with headlines of "horror" and "fury".

The report which followed gives no evidence of this "horror" and "fury". There is one anonymous quote where the only emotive word used is "disgusting", other quotes use phrases such as "could be difficulties" or "very concerned".

Hardly the stuff of horror and fury!

The entire story could have been reported by informing readers that planning permission has been sought to change the use of a nursing home into a hostel for asylum seekers.

Instead we have had a totally irresponsible front page which panders to the ignorance which fuelled the attacks on the homes of the asylum seekers. That event brought shame on Bradford: your report adds to that shame.

Dennis Farrell, Farfield Road, Shipley.

l EDITOR'S NOTE: Our headlines merely paraphrased the reaction we encountered - much of which was not printable - and our story accurately reported the views of local residents to the proposal which was rejected as "unsuitable" by the Council's Housing Department.

SIR - I write to congratulate Tony Niland on winning the East Bowling Ward seat.

It is good to see that he campaigned against Bradford Council's policy of privatising services and I am sure that this helped him hold the seat for Labour.

Unfortunately many councillors, not only within the Conservatives but also sadly within the Liberal Democrats and even within the Labour Party, think that privatisation has something to offer Bradford.

Experience shows that privatisation means a drop in wages for the vast majority of workers, worse terms and conditions for those workers, a consequent higher turnover of staff, a drop in the quality of services, a significant loss of money flowing within the local economy, and a loss of democratic accountability and local control over the provision of major services to the public.

I would like to invite representatives of local community groups and other organisations concerned about this issue to get involved in the Campaign Against Privatisation either by contacting us at the address below or by attending our next public meeting at the Central Library on Tuesday, April 24.

Mike Quiggin, Bradford Trades Union Council, Chapel Street, Bradford 1.

SIR - Can anyone in the Post Office give the public a single reason why they should change the name to Consignia? It surely is totally unnecessary.

We all know exactly what the Post Office is used for without giving it a fancy name.

Why does the boss want bus operators as competitors in certain areas? This new company should not be allowed to use the title Royal Mail.

They certainly need a shake-up. We used to have two deliveries a day. Now we never know what time our single delivery will arrive. Three times recently I have had letters delivered to my house with neither name, address nor post code bearing any resemblance to mine. Can't postmen read now?

I always thought the Royal Mail was started to give a much-valued service to the public rather than make a profit.

Do we not pay for this service, and does the PO not now make handsome profits from all the unaddressed and largely unwanted junk mail they now deliver?

It is disgusting nonsense to waste £2 million on this scheme, and I am sure it is not only the Communication Workers Union who will think so.

M Cook, Hall Bank Drive, Bingley.

SIR - In four years of New Labour, what have we got? A rail network in chaos with billions needing to be spent to bring it up to standard, full hospitals, rundown schools and prisons needing a vast investment.

Where has control freak Tony Blair gone wrong? Every time a minister opens his mouth, eg Nick Brown on the foot and mouth crisis, Mr Blair takes overall charge.

I think it is about time we assessed afresh where Mr Blair is leading us.

A Welsh Assembly and a Scottish Assembly are able to vote on UK matters while the British Parliament is unable to vote on Scottish issues.

Within the European Parliament, we seem to abide scrupulously within the law while our European counterparts comply with the laws that benefit them and ignore those which don't.

I for one know which way to vote in the coming general election and it won't be for 'New Labour'.

Philip Jackson, Lister Avenue, Bradford 4.

SIR - With regard to your report on the "Friends of Lister Park" (March 28), and in particular to your editorial Comment entitled, "Our duty to join park crusade".

As your readers will be aware, the "crusades" were a medieval Christian expedition to the Holy Land, its sole objective to quell the Muslim religion.

In view of the large number of Muslims who live in and practise their religion around the Lister Park area, I must say I find your choice of words unfortunate to say the least.

Kevin Westerman, Market Street, Thornton.

l EDITOR'S NOTE: In modern language, the definition has largely altered to mean an "enthusiastic or energetic campaign" - the context in which our headline was written.