SIR - Two recent reports are urging restrictions on people chastising their children. Meanwhile good old Tony Blair has said there is no way he would let this happen. Is this another "Vote for Blair" pre-election scam?

This proposed law is being put forward to "stop child abuse". Our society has plunged into the depths of brainless depravity because there is little or no summary justice. In fact, all we hear from the authorities is what they and we can't do!

The law does not work any more. Justice is a money-making racket and the innocent, decent members of society have to foot the bill.

Most normal people will chastise their children only very occasionally and with good reason. Take this from them and there will be an upsurge in criminal activity. This is a timebomb and it's ticking away!

Child abuse will carry on whatever happens and it is usually a government department which has shown little regard or responsibility for the safety of children under its "watchful eye" because it feels threatened by some bully!

Trevor Williams-Berry, Bredon Avenue, Wrose

SIR - What a fantastic initiative from the highways spokesman (T&A, June 19) who states: "We decided to put temporary Road Closure and Access Only signs at the ends of Plumpton End because of concerns of residents and councillors that it was being used as a rat-run to avoid the roadworks at the junction of Wrose Road and Kings Road. The road is narrow and windy and becomes dangerous when used by large volumes of traffic going at excessive speed."

Substituting "Five Lane Ends roundabout" for "Wrose Road and Kings Road," Westfield Lane then appears to fit exactly that very same criteria with residents and councillors alike all complaining at its over-use.

I am really pleased to see the strident action taken by highways and I look forward therefore to similar restrictions being put in place at both ends of Westfield Lane straight away.

Trevor Barratt, Westfield Lane, Idle.

SIR - The astonishing thing about the tragic killing of six British military policemen in southern Iraq is that it has taken the occupying forces by surprise. Either their intelligence on the ground has been very poor, or they are guilty of believing their own propaganda - probably both.

When the hoped-for welcoming crowds did not materialise, the Americans had to fly in a bunch of exiles who'd lived in the United States for 20 years to stage their well-publicised demolition of Saddam's statue in Baghdad, and even then they had to use one of their own tanks to pull it down.

When I was in Basra - supposedly the heartland of opposition to Saddam's regime - just before the war, ordinary people in the streets were bitter towards the continued RAF bombing of the so-called "no fly" zones throughout 12 years of sanctions, resulting in civilian deaths even while I was there.

In Baghdad, with a higher Sunni population, no-one I met was looking forward to "liberation" with any pleasure, though none anticipated the scale of the horror that has followed.

The war is not over. It has just entered a more dangerous and prolonged guerrilla phase, as I always expected.

Karl Dallas, Church Green, Manningham

SIR - Diane Duguid (Letters, June 10) may well live in New York but she clearly has little idea of what is going on in her own country.

In a recent opinion poll Tony Blair was found to be the second most popular man in America with an 85 per cent rating. At the same time the number of visitors coming to Britain has fallen by 15 per cent. Who better then to invite Americans to spend their tourist dollars here?

I have no idea what Mrs Duguid looks like, but her ungenerous opinions certainly put me off my tea.

Brian Holmans, Langley Road, Bingley.

SIR - I was surprised to see in the "50 Years Ago" column of June 12 reference to my comments re the Allotments Competition of 1953. Today competition in the local shows is as keen as ever. While there are fewer annual shows the standard is higher than ever, especially in vegetables.

T. Ashton (now 89), Highfield, Keighley.