Readers' Letters

I wish him luck with the issue, notwithstanding his pipping me to the post in the recent parish election. However, I would advise treading carefully on this problem. The Silsden Parish Council has been grappling with it for years, whilst the Bradford dog warden has been dragging his feet. But seriously, dog fouling presents a potentially very dangerous public health hazard. Many samples carry the parasite pathogen for toxicara, which of course can cause blindness in children.

Clearly responsible dog owners are aware of toxicara. It is the irresponsible few who create the nuisance, and will they take notice of street signs?

FM Harrison,

Kilnsey Fold, Silsden.

SIR - Councillor Kris Hopkins has, by his scurrilous comments about Councillor Mike Young (Keighley News, January 22) and by his behaviour at Haworth Neighbourhood Forum on January 12, demonstrated his unsuitability to be a ward councillor.

At the Neighbourhood Forum meeting he arrived late, stood at the back of the hall instead of joining the other ward councillors sitting at the front, and proceeded to insult Cllr Young.

The fact that he was howled down by the audience showed that this was unacceptable behaviour by any standards, and totally unnecessary in a generally well-tempered meeting, free from party political point-scoring.

Local man or not, he is seriously out of tune with the mood and feelings of the people of the Worth Valley, and his behaviour is more akin to that of a lager lout than a committed politician.

CHRIS KETCHEN,

Baden Street, Haworth.

SIR - Councillor Cope made a comment in which he implied that he and his colleagues on the Keighley Planning sub-committee had been forced to submit to the desecration of the Aire-Worth region by both Conservative and Labour governments.

The true facts are all the Keighley-based Bradford councillors in local positions of power owe their positions to the hierarchy in Bradford City Hall.

Most of them refuse, in my opinion, to stand up to their political masters in City Hall.

We are all aware of Bradford's wish to quickly urbanise the Aire-Worth region, as for example the creation of the massive housing development plans for the Aire-Worth region, including the planning of a compulsory purchase order for a road in the Silsden area which nobody wants.

History has shown that nobody can now use the pretext of acting under orders as a means of legal or moral absolution as insinuated by Cllr Cope. Nor is it seen to be credible, I believe, that he had sought to make modest steps to improve the situation. Cllr Cope also made reference in your letter page, regarding Haworth residents' wish to promote a parish council and his inclination to become involved in the campaign of promoting the wishes of a majority of people in this area.

The reason for any reluctance on the part of the steering group to invite political figures, I would have thought, was that after careful deliberation party political participation could have proved to have been a hindrance to local democracy. Or those in charge of soliciting local democracy and adequate representation on local issues may have felt that they in turn would be treated to the same political contempt as do the 96.7 per cent of people in the Aire-Worth region who demand devolution from Bradford's political conceit.

BRIAN HUDSON,

Chairman Aire-worth

Reform Association.

SIR - Helen Ketchen submitted to this paper a glowing statement on the virtues of Cllr Young. I, however, only speak from an observational perspective.

Cllr Young is coming up for re-election soon and, like all party politicians, it could be said that he may have an opportunist approach in canvassing for votes.

The question I pose is this: how does a genuine desire to serve the local community fit with the man, who as chairman of Bradford Social Services committee allegedly plans to serve summonses on four elderly and disabled people for non-payment of Bradford's social service charges?

Some may suggest that Cllr Young is said to be attacking the weakest and most vulnerable people in our community for their dependency on local welfare services.

I volunteer, therefore, that such a noble reference from an admirer such as Ms Ketchen should be qualified.

Michael Kennedy, specialist in mental health and community care law based with Emsley's Solicitors in Leeds, says that Bradford Council, and by implication Cllr Young, has the right to waive the charges for all services including day centres and home helps. So why, if this statement is true, continue the persecution of the elderly? As election time draws near it could be said that Cllr Young requires good news stories in the run-up to the local elections, and now belatedly offers to escort hard working members of Haworth Residents Action Group to London.

Of course he is opportunist, that is the way of politicians, however repugnant it may be. Those who make a genuine contribution in serving their local communities are the army of volunteers who turn up week after week, often without public recognition or payment of expenses. These, I believe, are the people with a genuine desire to serve the local community, achieved without opportunist gain.

DAVID SAMUELS,

Station Road, Oxenhope.

SIR - What audacity Mr Donald Robertshaw has to write to the Keighley News (22.1.99), regarding the situation within the ranks of New Labour.

He must think that as Glenn Hoddle seems to do we are all brain dead! He must think that we've already forgotten about the eighteen years of Tory sleaze.

Does he remember Mr Neil Hamilton - ex Tory MP - he of the plain, brown paper bags?

How about that tall, noble, upright Englishman who believes so much in British justice, Mr Jonathan Aitken - ex Tory MP.

I won't mention the more recent act of crass stupidity (his words) by Tory MEP for Surrey - Tom Spencer _ who was caught bringing cannabis and a gay pornographic video into the country.

Of course, this isn't what Mr Robertshaw was concerned about.

He was trying to encourage people to say: "No!" to going into Europe.

His two main reasons he gives for us saying no is that pensioners will lose £20 per week of their pensions.

He forgets to tell us that British pensions are one of the lowest rates in Europe.

So, pensions may go up before they come down.

His second point is that the queen's head will not appear on the Euro notes or coins, therefore, we will be losing our sovereignty! Is he sure?

Come off it, Mr Robertshaw. You, like Glenn Hoddle, seem to live in another world.

DERRICK H GREEN,

School Street, Steeton.

SIR - I wonder if any of your readers remembers Old Ebenezer, a radio programme of the 1930s? Richard Goolden played the character, he used to begin his stories: "One evening, sitting round my old fire bucket."

He also introduced Children's Hour, Uncle Mac, Larry the Lamb and Mr Penny - what memories - pure enjoyment, and I mean pure.

He also introduced a programme called Castles of England, where he gave a commentary as though he was an ordinary soldier or villager at the time of a particular siege or battle. He made a programme of life in the mill, and I remember my mother's own stories about the mill. If only the do-gooders had been around in the 1930s when sexual harassment was known as a bit of fun, most of the female mill workers would have finished up millionaires.

Were we really such different characters from children today? I'm sure that today's children could use their imagination and be carried back in time like Castles of England ,and get as much pleasure as we did. If not, how much they are missing!

E REDMAN,

Strawberry Fields, Keighley.

SIR - I was reading an issue of the Keighley News today, which only arrived last Friday (22.1.99). I was struck by the headline 'They just don't want to work', in the Dec 4 edition. Yes, it is a month or so old by the time I get the Keighley News, by sea. That is ok.

I am amazed at the people of Keighley and villages around being too bone idle to get out of bed to work for their family and to keep a roof over their head. Is the benefit system so good that it does not encourage people to work?

I read of £3.60 to £10 per hour, one job is for £4.75 an hour. Good Lord, what money, £190 per week, no wonder the cost of living is sky high as compared to out here.

My friend sent me a price list of a Christmas tipple - one pint of lager £1.48 was the cheapest, at Mytholmroyd Working Men's Club. £1.85 at O Neills Kings Cross Street, Halifax, £2 at Barcentre Bull Grass, Halifax, £1.84 at White Horse Inn, Leeds Road, Lightcliffe.

Not for me, and OAPs are struggling to make ends meet with their fixed income, including myself.

Out here £48 per week, my old age pension was frozen at £48 , the rate I was getting in 1989, yes I am 82 years old.

I was working until I was 73, when I decided to come and live out here as the climate is so good compared with English weather.

Out here if a workman is made redundant he gets a golden handshake for the years he has worked for the firm. He then goes to draw two thirds of his wages for ten weeks.

It is then stopped, he has to look around then to get a job, as there are no hand outs out here as there are in England, and believe me in South Africa if you have nothing it is a very hard country to live in. No social security in any shape or form.

But the cost of living is not as dear as in the UK. My friend in Brighouse says she paid £1.90 for fish and chips to take home, to go into a cafe £4.20 for fish and chips, slice of bread and butter, cup of tea.

It was her son-in-law who bought her the fish and chips as she could not afford such prices. If what I read is correct, regarding the happy people in Keighley not wanting to work as they are better off on dole or whatever, they should be made to work and get the unfortunate who want to work and cannot through instability enrich them, not the lazy louts that are milking the country dry. I did work for £1 per hour for five or six years.

M ACKROYD,

Cape Town, South Africa.

SIR - You will recall last November we carried out a survey which highlighted the problem of people registering with ourselves and then not turning up for work. This problem was mainly caused by young people in the 18-30 age bracket.

Historically we have always found older people more reliable and conscientious, and as such we have encouraged the over 40s to take on temporary assignments.

At present over 50 per cent of our temporary staff are over 40 years old, 22 per cent are over 50 years old.

I find this an interesting statistic, and it proves that there are people in Keighley wanting to work.

DENNIS PAGDIN MECI,

Rotherwood Recruitment, Keighley.

SIR - There have been quite a few articles about Islam just recently in your newspaper.

We'd like to appeal to all the born again, Holy Spirit filled, uncompromising Christians, out there, especially in the Keighley area, to write to the Keighley News about what they are doing in their Christian fellowships, how God is working etc, and get a balance of how Jesus Christ is working in people's lives.

Just of late there haven't been any reports of what charismatic, pentecostal type churches are doing.

Who's going to stand up and be counted for the Lord Jesus?

We are not afraid to express God's truth from the Bible, and we would ask you to prayerfully consider writing and not letting religions take over our local paper.

MALCOLM and

PENNY GARFORTH

Woodside Road, Silsden.

SIR - Concerning the recent correspondence re Humane Eating, David's Longstaff's plea that we all ensure that our meat comes from animals humanely treated and stunned before slaughter raises the question of exactly how we can do this. But as a start, I ask the question: "What are the standards with regard to humane treatment and stunning of animals in halal butchery practices in Keighley?" Would a spokesperson please comment?

Another question I have is: "How is it that this very inhumane practice is allowed at all?" It sounds very much as if licences have been/are issued to inflict cruelty, albeit in the name of religion.

I strongly uphold the right of us all in this country to practise freedom of religion, but where this freedom denies a basic humane approach to animals and the respecting of their rights, eg to not have suffering inflicted upon them, then our society needs to look again at the relaxing of laws which allow this.

If a person was to treat his dog or cat as unstunned animals for slaughter are treated, for whatever reason, then the strictest and severest of penalties would be incurred.

Part of living in a multicultural society surely pre-supposes a common adherence to the laws and values of the land.

And laws concerning the right treatment of animals, as well as all other laws, must apply to us all, equally, without fear or favour.

SYLVIA C WALKER,

Styveton Way, Steeton.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.