SIR - On the afternoon of August 29 I was having my well-earned break at 3pm. I was sitting on a seat behind the Magistrates' Court when I was approached by a ten-year-old boy asking for a cigarette. My reply was "NO" as I said he was too young to smoke.

He said he was living on the streets and that the cigarette was for his mother and he said that he did not smoke.

To my amazement he had with him two other children, who were younger than him and a toddler of about 18 months who was sitting in a pushchair drinking milk out of a baby's bottle.

What amazes me more is that this boy is left to look after these children whether it be brother, sister or friend. Where are the parents of these children who are left to roam the street unsupervised? Are we becoming a nation of child beggars and also the drop-outs who ask for change daily?

It is no wonder people feel despondent at visiting Bradford if this is the type of incident they face. It is totally demoralising to working class people.

In the 1960s era a Saturday afternoon shopping trip to Bradford was a weekly treat well worth looking forward to. Sadly those days have gone forever.

S May, Jer Lane, Horton Bank Top, Bradford

SIR - It is strange and significant that Councillor Cooke should write to me through the T&A Letters page about the Odsal development. As yet there has been no contact from the controlling group about Odsal even though the Chief Executive of the Council has been kind enough to keep me informed as have the Rugby Club and the developer.

While I was Leader of the Council, no decisions were taken about Odsal that had not first been aired in public. As Coun Cooke can check with Couns Eaton and Wightman, all parties on the Council supported the development of Odsal.

I am sure we will be more successful this time if we pull the same way and take the public with us by being open. It was the Conservative Group that said all information would be posted on the Internet for the public's interest.

Gerry Sutcliffe MP, Kirkgate, Bradford 1.

SIR - For a few years now, fireworks have been let off at all sorts of time during the whole year. However, their usage is increasing.

On Saturday, August 26, fireworks were let off at 7.15 in the morning and at 12.30 at night in the Duckworth Lane area of Bradford. Do the people responsible for this ever consider the suffering imposed on others?

I suggest that all laws concerning the fireworks be repealed and selling and letting-off of fireworks by anyone at anytime be made legal. This will mean that the local police, council officers, fire service and anyone else concerned with enforcing the law will have less to do in respect of fireworks and the public will know that there are no laws for fireworks.

While the Great and the Good are at it, they may wish to abandon the litter laws, road tax, parking laws (Marlborough Road, White Abbey Road, Duckworth Lane to name a few roads) and in fact why not make the City of Bradford a completely law-free zone?

Would the vast majority of the general public see and experience any difference from what it is today? I doubt it.

S Akhtar, Duckworth Lane, Bradford.

SIR - After reading in the T&A on August 25 about Bradford's newest tourist attraction being set to open its doors for free admission from Saturday to Tuesday, my partner and I set off one Saturday morning recently armed with umbrellas as it was pouring down, both looking forward to seeing all that we had read about and what the "Life Force" had to offer.

How disappointed we were to find all doors in Forster Square closed at 11am and no indication whatever as to when we could gain admission. The only notice we saw was "NOW OPEN". We wonder when!

We did not realise, until we saw a picture in the T&A on Tuesday, that the entrance was reached up Church Bank by the Cathedral.

Mrs A Bennett, Beacon Road, Wibsey.

l Hayley Lomas, deputy general manager of Life Force, said: "We were very sorry to hear about this incident. We are open seven days a week, 10-5. If the people concerned would like to contact me, we will arrange a special tour for them."