SIR – Once again we are hearing about the ‘idiot brigade’ (health and safety executive). So, we will not be getting Shipley’s historic clock tower doing what it says on the tin, ie the little metal ‘chappie’ up there banging out the hours with his metal hammer.

What is all the fuss about? The health and safety executive deems it unsafe for anyone to climb up there and effect repairs – have they never heard of steeplejacks?

It is surprising that the whole country has not come to a standstill because of this crew. I have seen cases where a simple job like replacing a few roof tiles¸ which would cost a few bob, running into thousands of pounds because of the “need” to put up elaborate scaffolding to satisfy health and safety requirements.

Can one imagine through history if this crew had been around? No pyramids, no hanging gardens of Babylon – ‘come down from that pyramid lad, you might fall and hurt yourself’.

Indeed the country may come to a standstill after all we may all be housebound because it is deemed unsafe to walk up our own drives, lest we step in a pile of ‘dog mess’, slip and break our legs.

Terry Tordoff, Calderstone Avenue, Buttershaw.