Letters to the Editor

Sir - Your editorial (T&A, September 7) was entirely right to welcome the Council's crack-down on litter-bugs - but far less convincing about the low-key outcome of the recent cigarette-butt prosecution.

Almost daily I see young people deliberately throwing drinks cans, mothers letting their children drop sweet wrappers, and sometimes neighbours dumping rubbish outside their back gardens. On past occasions complaining to the litterbugs has evoked abuse, threats, or silence and it normally makes little sense then to phone any enforcement officer.

But of course smokers can be easy targets to chase - and popular ones among people whose political correctness exceeds their respect for the freedoms of vulnerable minorities of every kind.

Cigarette butts are probably the least harmful litter items. If the Council was serious about them it would follow the lead I saw in Warsaw. There were ashtray bins on many street-corners, and scarcely any butts on the ground.

So let's be sensible and have plenty of these bins in Bradford. I would never put a butt in any ordinary bin, for fear of starting a fire. Probably many smokers feel just the same way - although that's no excuse for car-drivers.

Ian Vine, Duckworth Grove, Bradford

Trivial offence

SIR - This sit-com concerning Gary Thompson's discarded cigarette butt is nearly too daft to laugh at.

I ask you - undercover police out to catch butt flingers! Isn't it the week's funny story?

Have you ever seen a road strewn with butts? I see a sprinkling of such in the gutter at our nearest bus stop, but far more eye-catching are the choc-bar and crisps wrappings, the plastic chip boxes and the half-eaten sandwiches on the pavement and under the seat at the local post office.

Problems with dumpers crop up everywhere. Dumps have been featured in the T&A over many years.

Local residents have complained about unsightliness and rats, only to be told that the owners of the dumped-upon land cannot be traced, so the rubbish can't be moved.

So Gary Thompson refused to pay £50 for his trivial offence? Good luck to him.

M Tetlow, Ashwell Road, Heaton.

Travellers' mess

SIR - I read with disbelief the front page issue regarding the man who committed a terrible crime on Rooley Lane (T&A, September 6). He actually threw a tab end on to the main road.

This made me think about an incident recently in Thornton old road. A group of so-called travellers arrived on the playing fields and as usual, began depositing the contents of their vans all around. They stayed two weeks and when they left, the field was covered in rubbish, old furniture and worst of all four empty gas cylinders.

What if kids had got hold of those?

All this in full view of local residents, passers-by and police, but nothing was done. The Council just came and cleared it all up.

If only one of the travellers had thrown down a tab end we would have seen the whole weight of the law at work.

G Hemmingway, Middlebrook Hill, Bradford.

We're in the dark

Sir - As neighbours, we have recycled our glass, cans, plastic and paper for more than three years. When the Council introduced the paper-bin scheme to this area we were pleased (less to take up to the recycling point).

However, after six months the bin (now full to bursting) has never been collected. Seven collections have been missed.

I have rung the Council several times. I have not noticed other grey paper bins in the area. If we are being missed because of low take-up of the scheme could they let us know then we can continue with our own recycling.

Graham Binns, on behalf of St George's Place, Little Horton

l John Turner, principal street scene officer, said: "We will investigate Mr Binns's complaint and make sure of future collections in his area. If anyone has any queries regarding recycling they should ring 01274 431000, or if they would like to join the recycling scheme they should call our recycling line on 01274 438883."

Hunt for memories

Sir - I'm writing in the hope some of your readers may be able to help me in my search for people who still remember what life was like for women 80 or more years ago.

I am writing a book recounting the personal stories of women who were widowed or never found a husband after 750,000 young men were killed in the First World War.

Of that generation, nearly one in six women remained single. These women were forced by world events to stop depending on men for their income, their identity and their future happiness.

For some it was a tragedy, for others a liberation.

I would be interested to hear from readers who have memories of single women in the 1920s and 1930s. Who were they? What was it like for them?

You may remember that time yourself; you may have relatives or friends who found themselves in this predicament.

This is an opportunity to share your experiences. If you have a story to tell, write to me.

Virginia Nicholson, c/o Stephanie Collie, Viking, 8th Floor, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL

Sharing unease

SIR - Three recent T&A items caught my eye. Mike Priestley's piece on Islamic militants (September 4), Mr Vasey's letter (September 6) which drew forth a sniffy Editor's Note and news of Lord Ouseley's visit (September 7).

Mike Priestley's sensible piece referred to 'Islamophobia' - perhaps the inverted commas reflected the same unease I have.

The suffix 'phobia' as we know means 'fear of'. Modern usage also clearly implies that the fear is irrational.

I don't fear the geo-political extreme end of Islam. I abhor it. If I did feel fear, it could scarcely be described as irrational.

Mr Vasey's letter suggested the T&A was tip-toeing coyly around the C4 child abuse documentary. Well I'm sorry, you were, but frankly that's sometimes editorially wise.

On the other hand one could point at West Yorkshire Police's clodhopping pre-election censorship pressure and the general tone of your political coverage as a couple of factors in the Keighley's area's disturbing level of support for the BNP.

Finally, Lord Ouseley has said we must discuss Bradford's ethnic and cultural issues frankly. Hmm - that presumably right up to the point anybody actually tries, then the proverbial hits the fan!

M Pollard, Moorfield Drive, Baildon.

Bonus for city

SIR - It is good to see that some of the ground floor units at Broadgate House have found a new use.

One unit has opened up as a sandwich/caf bar. I hope it does well and that more of these smart coffee bars and restaurants open up in and around Manor Row and Little Germany. It would give the new residents in the city a choice of places to eat.

Another unit is to become a convenience store. It is much needed because where are people meant to buy groceries when they finish work or at weekends?

Ideally a new supermarket is needed in the city centre. Could a Tesco Metro or Sainsbury's Local be opened in the Broadway Centre?

Jack MacPherson, Killinghall Road, Bradford.