SIR - Why are some drivers in this city, whatever their colour, creed or race, all too fond of trying to kill themselves or innocent people? The past couple of years in my eyes has seen a steep rise in motorists and cyclists flouting the laws of the land.

Not many people wear seat belts in this city any more. And I'm tired of the modern-day monuments of flowers that are set up by street lamps, walls and roadside ditches that obviously show people's grief. What does it say about people's driving when the cemetery comes out on to the streets for all to see? It's so sad. And nobody ever learns.

The laws are too weak and the age limit for younger drivers is far to low. Think about it. Give an 18-year-old a brand new Subaru Impreza and ask him or her to drive carefully. Don't make me laugh!

Please, West Yorkshire Police, tighten up on this Wild West that's on our roads. Too many people have big fast cars and very little brains.

Andrew Bolt, Hazelhurst Road, Daisy Hill, Bradford 9

SIR - A housing development on the site of Lidget Green's Old Middle School has started recently. There were no visible public notices to say where plans could be viewed or objections/comments made.

Our house is adjacent to the site and the first notice we received was the week that plant and equipment arrived on site.

The new estate will not have direct access to Cemetery Road, hence all traffic will "rat run" along currently quiet streets of terraced houses.

We are losing a big school field where kids could play safely. Now their streets will be even more dangerous. The families who move in will also have nowhere for their children to play.

Old and new residents will have a poorer quality of life. In fact the only people to benefit will be the housing association.

We want the Council to stop this development until the local people are properly informed and a public meeting held where objections may be raised.

Even if we lost in the end, we can take comfort from Mike Priestley's article in Saturday's T&A on Lost Views, but to be compensated with public money just compounds the tragedy of an ill-conceived scheme.

S Moorhouse, Glendare Avenue, Lidget Green.

SIR - I have read with increasing interest the vast amount of controversy the new speed bumps in Burley Woodhead have created.

As a full-time working mum who uses the road on a daily basis to transport my daughter from Bingley to Ilkley and then back, I would like to point out that the oldest and to my mind most important residents of that road seem to have been forgotten - the sheep and lambs.

The majority of the traffic slows down when driving through Burley Woodhead anyway, as that's where the road is at its narrowest. However, the open road section between Burley Moor and Cowpasture Road is frequently used as an unofficial racetrack, leaving sheep and lambs to quite literally risk life and limb getting across the road.

The number of bumps installed in Burley Woodhead is totally out of proportion to the problem. Surely it would have been fairer to have distributed the same number of bumps throughout the moor road - protecting all of the people and animals who have to use and share it, rather than just the privileged few.

Annabel Gregory, Foulds Terrace, Bingley.

SIR - I am shocked that Shipley MP Chris Leslie has accepted an appointment as a junior minister in the new Department of Constitutional Affairs.

The Labour government is making vast changes to our constitution that will undermine the independence of the judiciary by making it accountable to a politician. At the same time it is undermining the efforts of the police, the judiciary and the legal profession who are working to keep criminals off the streets.

The Blair government seems intent on politicising the judiciary, abolishing the right to trial by jury, allowing British citizens to be tried in other European countries without the benefit of the presumption of innocence, and destroying the legal system without any attempt at discussion or consultation.

Mr Leslie should be ashamed to be part of a government which is undermining the rights of law-abiding local people, while doing nothing to keep criminals off the streets.

Rather than pursuing his ministerial career at any cost to his constituents, he should do the right thing and resign.

Councillor Matt Palmer (Con, Rombalds ward), Station Road, Burley in Wharfedale.

SIR - The high-handed nod-and-a-wink approach evident between elements of Bradford social services and planning departments is possibly the last straw in a community that in the recent past has had facilities removed by council dictate.

Planning rules appear flexible when it comes to council convenience. Sowden House was previously an old people's home. Now we are being told it is to be a home for youngsters in care.

How can the Council possibly hide behind convenient planning arrangements, placing the real cost on Thornton residents in terms of fears of increased problems with drugs, burglary etc if the plans go ahead?

Now plans have been referred to the scrutiny and ethics committee by Councillor Binney, let's hope that commonsense prevails. Knowing the Council's history with regard to Thornton's wellbeing, the community in and around Thornton would do well not to hold their breath for a correct decision.

Dale Town, Oakhall Park, Thornton

SIR - The people of Thornton turned out well on June 18 for the meeting about the future of Sowden House in James Street.

It was an elderly people's home until it was sold this year.

There were 15 elderly residents in comfortable quarters and local care people worked there.

Now social services want the home to house eight children. They need space for their facilities for them.

One lady at the meeting said her girls have to share a room, and I brought up four children in a two-bedroom house. So why do eight children need so much room?

The T&A reported that four care homes are being threatened with closure. So let Sowden House go back to a care home and help house the elderly again.

Veronica Farnell, Market Street, Thornton.

SIR - Graham Carey is not alone in asking "why?" as regards the salary being offered to the future chief executive.

A T&A report on June 18 was headed: "You're rubbish, Council bosses told."

No matter who is appointed to the top job, no matter what the salary, until we sort the wheat from the chaff, get rid of the "rubbish," don't allow departmental officers to be a law unto themselves and get the scrutineers to scrutinise, we will continue on a downward spiral.

S Walsh, Church Street, Bingley.

SIR - I do wish that you'd stop printing letters from sociopaths and right-wing fanatics who believe shooting people in the back isn't a capital crime (Bill Hudson, June 20).

I wonder if Mr Hudson would support my idea of fitting traffic cameras with missiles to ensure that the criminals who speed and jump traffic lights don't re-offend?

His views are a disgrace to society.

David Simpson, Hirst Avenue, Heckmondwike