SIR - It is very distracting to claim the lofty Capital of Culture status for our city. Bradford cannot be more famous, beautiful, powerful or rich but it can be made an honest place, facing up to its problems of its present, faithful to the glorious, industrious past, and learning to work together towards a viable, potentially bright future.

We had a unique opportunity to capitalise on our cultural diversity when several self-supporting communities were able to offer their cultural contribution to Bradford, enriching their children in their own national and religious traditions without turning them against this country.

Their success was hijacked by the mythmakers of the "ideal multicultural society" and corrupted by those phoney social engineers, failed community leaders who set out building inter-community bridges but ended up with the Berlin walls of our divided city.

To rehabilitate all communities to the membership of the indigenous society, we all have to go back to the old norm, love your own without hating the others.

K Novak, Kingsley Avenue, Bradford 2.

SIR - I wish to thank Councillor Clive Richardson for his comments on my letter of the February 19 about crime figures. Making comparisons of crimes in other areas does not make the scale of crime in Bradford acceptable!

I agree entirely that Tony Blair's Government is sadly lacking in providing resources, but blaming the Labour Government is a no-no because this deterioration has manifested itself over many years and under many different political parties.

It was also the Conservative leader who hammered down the miners, not the Labour Party.

Let's face it, rather than find a solution to major problems in this country, all politicians ignore them, thus adding fuel to the inevitable holocaust!

Trevor Williams-Berry, Bredon Avenue, Wrose

SIR - I share the views of a recent correspondent that this country's destiny is civil war. And it will begin in cities like Bradford.

We've gone through the lead-up stages: civil unrest and disobedience leading into anarchy, and weak politicians incapable of doing their job. Civil war follows.

Estates are run by gangs of teeny thugs, drug pushers sneer at the police, women are raped, children abused, old people mugged, homes burgled, shopkeepers and their staff are in constant fear, bus and taxi drivers and restaurant staff are assaulted by drunken scum, children run wild, fathers run away, illegal immigrants walk in as they please, terrorists and organised criminals enter at will and consider this country as their spiritual home.

The country is run by an assortment of groups for the welfare of the lawless and dishonest. And at the back of them all, lawyers make millions out of it.

Things do seem to be looking up though. Recently an old man, one who fought for this country, was jailed for seven days for daring to call himself English. It's good to know we can still be tough when the chips are down. Roll on the revolution.

Eric Firth, Wellington Street, Wilsden.

SIR - I am writing to thank those among your readership who have donated money to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Appeal for the people in the Congo who suffered when a volcano erupted last month, destroying most of the town of Goma.

Fourteen of the UK's well-known charities (including Oxfam, Christian Aid and Save the Children) have together already raised over £2.5 million as part of the DEC appeal to help in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Currently Oxfam is providing safe drinking water at eight distribution points to around 70,000 people focusing on Burare, one of the poorest areas in the eastern part of Goma. Oxfam plans to provide an emergency programme worth £1.2 million over four months providing clean drinking water for 100,000 people, and hygiene/sanitation facilities for around 60,000 of the most vulnerable people who are without homes.

The earthquake is only the latest crisis to hit a country that has suffered years of conflict, poverty and suffering.

Donations are still being accepted for the DEC Appeal by post to DEC Goma Crisis Appeal, PO Box 999, London, EC3A 3AA, online at www.dec.org.uk or by taking cash to one of the Oxfam shops.

Jonathan Dorsett, Oxfam Yorkshire and North East Campaigns Office, Park Row, Leeds.

SIR - I wrote to Tony Blair about the plight of our local community and Downing Street agreed to pass my letter to the appropriate ministries. However, I received a reply from Yorkshire Forward, which I refused to accept as an answer to my letter and Downing Street have agreed to readdress the matter.

The letter from Yorkshire Forward claims: "On education, you will be aware that a new company, Serco, has recently taken over the running of Bradford's schools, It has a new chief executive and our education adviser here will raise your concerns with him at the next meeting. I know that the upper school has been moved to a brand new building at considerable cost."

I thought it prudent to inquire of Immanuel Community College regarding this statement. If you read their admissions policy you will find that the children of Ravenscliffe have been effectively denied neighbourhood education. To be fair to the staff at the school, they consider that the few who attend from our community are, by and large, exemplary.

When is Estelle Morris going to address the fact that our children's education has been effectively socially engineered to their considerable disadvantage?

Audrey Raistrick, (secretary, Greengates & Ravenscliffe Community Forum), Oakdale Drive, Eccleshill.

SIR - Two weeks ago I was rushed into hospital for tests and observation after collapsing. Now that I am home again and feeling much better. I would like to thank the doctors and nurses on Ward C3 of St Luke's for their kindness in looking after me.

I would also like to thank the catering staff for their wonderful meals as well as the porters, orderlies, clerks and cleaners who all work so hard to keep St Luke's "running like clockwork".

Mrs Cynthia Rodgers, Lilycroft Place, Bradford 8.

SIR - In the light of recent murders, beatings and attempted "car-jackings," I feel that the people who make a living representing the town of Keighley (this includes politicians both local and national, the police and magistrates) should indeed meet with the townsfolk in order for some kind of policy to be drawn up that hopefully will stem this rising tide of lawlessness that is fast becoming the norm in this area.

Martin Whiteley, Grange Road, Riddlesden