Letters to the Editor

He said that despite the vibrancy of the Quaid-e-Azam League, the negative side of local cricket was the lack of an Asian in the county side.

There are many fine local Asian cricketers in the aforementioned league, and the better ones also play in the senior leagues of Yorkshire in which the Bradford League is a major beneficiary.

The Bradford League is still the main provider of players for Yorkshire CCC, and the cream will rise to the top no matter what the ethnic background. Indeed, Bradford League products Tabassum Bhatti (Saltaire) and Haroon Rashid (Bradford & Bingley) have been awarded Academy contracts with Yorkshire, and if they continue to flourish they will have a real chance of playing for the county.

One has only to look at the make-up of several of the Bradford League sides to acknowledge the opportunities for Asians. Instead of contriving a negative in a local hotbed of cricket, the uninformed Mr Grove should extol the virtues of Bradford League cricket in the culture bid.

Reg Nelson, Westfield Road, Heaton.

SIR - How can Britain accept any more refugees when it cannot take care of its own people - that's those who have lived here all their lives, whose parents and grandparents were brought up here? The only answer the Government think will help this problem is to put our taxes up again.

People are entering Britain as you read this, claiming every benefit going and bleeding the country dry. They have done nothing to earn it, yet here are our parents and grandparents who have worked all their lives and fought in wars only to be made to pay for their own healthcare or be left on hospital waiting lists for months if not years!

It's mad that there is little being done to stop this. Anyone who tries is branded racist.

Sarah Jakes, Dudley Street, Tyersal.

SIR - Councillor Gill's comments about the Area Panel distribution of neighbourhood renewal funding (T&A, March 6) invite some comments from a councillor whose ward was badly served by the decisions.

While it may be true that "many members of the public had their say", the views they expressed were not responded to. A number drew attention to the exclusion of Frizinghall and Shipley East. This seemed an opportunity for Frizinghall to benefit from Government targeted funding.

The bids put in by the Community Centre and by Timble Housing were excellent and would have made a real difference if they had been accepted.

Councillor Gill is right to point out that deprivation "is not limited to one postcode" but it is, however, concentrated in certain areas, and parts of Frizinghall come into this category. The allocation of lots of small grants may have some merit, but not when this allocation is not targeted at areas of particular deprivation.

The rationale behind Neighbourhood Renewal as voted by Shipley Area Panel did not reflect the aspiration that it should be targeted at poverty. I can only hope that when Bradford Vision take on the allocation for next year they will avoid political decision-making.

Councillor David Ford (Green Party, Shipley West ward), Marlborough Road, Shipley

SIR - We recently held a charity collection at Tesco Supermarket, Halifax Road, Buttershaw, and found their staff to be so co-operative, helpful and pleasant.

We felt they were deserving of public recognition and wondered if you could possibly publish this note in your paper.

Thank you in anticipation.

Susan Radcliffe (chairman, Bradford branch of the British Epilepsy Association), Pentland Avenue, Clayton.

SIR - I object to the letter by Trevor Williams-Berry (T&A, March 8). He says all politicians ignore problems rather than find solutions. First, has he spoken to ALL politicians and seen how they work? Second, does he have any understanding of the structures within which they work?

There are plenty of interesting quotes about this issue: the suitably ambiguous "in a democracy, the people get what they deserve"; the Churchillian "democracy is the worst form of government - but it's the best we've got" or quite simply "politics is the art of the possible."

I prefer "politics is about choices." Many are difficult and some politicians prefer not to make a difficult decision, thereby maintaining their popularity. Sometimes, fear is an overriding political force resulting in inaction.

The message is a simple one; if you have a vote, give it to those who have the courage and vision to govern. If their record shows they've failed, give it to someone else. Complaining that all politicians are the same, when you haven't taken the time to assess the issues - well, I refer you to my first quote.

Councillor Robert Reynolds (Cons. Wyke Ward), Westminster Crescent, Clayton.

SIR - Never in the history of our country can our proud people have felt so abandoned and enraged. Not one person can feel safe and secure, and our very freedom is at stake.

There are tens of thousands more prisoners in their homes than there are in jail.

Pensioners live in fear and risk their life going for their pension. Parents are sick with worry, as school is no guarantee of children being free from drug induction. Men at their peak are not safe from savage thuggery.

We British have paid with millions of the lives of our countrymen for our freedom. How they would scream in their graves if they could see how their sacrifice has been de-valued.

In Bradford, lawlessness is an epidemic on the streets as evil young criminals feel safe in the system that should punish them but instead has an almost invisible police force, pathetic insulting judiciary, and inept politicians who were told five years ago that compromising on law and order to any section of the community would just store it up for another day.

This truly is our "darkest hour" and the Government should be charged with "treason" against this nation.

Gary Lorriman, North Walk, Long Lane, Harden.

SIR - Since the last tenants vacated the lodge at the entrance of Roberts Park, the lodge has been constantly vandalised.

The Council have removed the windows and doors, replacing them with steel shutters, in an attempt to keep out the vandals. Recently the roof slates have started to disappear.

Having campaigned for, and been awarded, World Heritage Status for Saltaire, does the Council intend to let this lovely building fall into complete disrepair and dereliction?

If the park and Saltaire's intention is to attract visitors and tourism, then a ruined and derelict lodge is surely not the best tourist advert.

A Brooks, Aireview Crescent, Baildon.

SIR - I was interested to read the article on improving the towpath on the Leeds-Liverpool canal. What's the point of spending £228,000 on this work when the people in the planning department, in their wisdom, have agreed to the building of a glass and metal monstrosity within sight of the towpath?

What sort of aesthetic impact would this have on the World Heritage Site of Saltaire?

Mrs J Walker, Scarborough Grove, Shipley.