SIR - I refer to the letters from John Mellin (Sentences seem rough justice) and Bill Harrison (untitled) regarding the A59 and A65 in the vicinity of Draughton village that were published in your paper dated October 21.

By way of response, I would like to address points raised in the letters.

Sadly Mr Mellin's letter appears to condone the loss of life on our roads explaining the actions of the lorry driver as "a momentary and brief act of folly". Momentary and brief it may have been but it nevertheless resulted in the death of an innocent victim.

At the time of the collision, the lorry driver's standard of driving was judged to have fallen far below that expected of a reasonable and competent driver. He was charged with causing death by dangerous driving and was subsequently convicted and sentenced at Bradford Crown Court.

This is a very serious offence usually charged where aggravating factors add to the already poor standard of driving. The maximum sentence is 14 years imprisonment and yes, the court will take into account the loss of life when sentencing.

I cannot condone the actions of the driver in the second reported case which concerned a driver who, unlicensed and uninsured, drove an untested car and performed a "prolonged and persistent piece of bad driving with excessive speed and a police chase".

The driving standards in this case have fallen well below those expected of a reasonable and competent driver and I have to agree that there are other aggravating factors but these actions have not resulted in a loss of life. Also, this case was heard by local magistrates who appear to have passed sentence in accordance with their sentencing guidelines although their powers of sentence are not as great as those of the crown court.

Turning to the letter written by Mr Harrison, I have to agree that any loss of life is very tragic for all concerned but I disagree with his statement that the A65 near Draughton is a very dangerous stretch of road. The A65 and A59 in particular are notorious roads but this is a label that has been applied by the national media.

To use an old adage, it is not the road that is dangerous but the people who use it. The majority of road traffic collisions are caused by driver error or poor behaviour. Very few are caused by the road per se although much can be achieved to improve safety by making changes to road design.

North Yorkshire Police do not condone speeding motorists and do take proactive action to identify and prosecute offenders. The road policing officers at Skipton are particularly active in this respect both on the A59 and the A65.

We have not been formally consulted by Highways North Yorkshire about a reduction of speed limit at this location but I am certain that should consultation be forthcoming, we will consider the circumstances on their own merits and reply accordingly.

Speed limits are set by the relevant highway authority and are subject to national guidelines. Whenever consulted, North Yorkshire Police do adhere to these standards in order that any new limits introduced are appropriate, consistent and realistic.

We do support the lowering of speed limits where necessary but simply lowering a speed limit on what otherwise is a good class rural road without any development is not likely to have the desired effect and I would suggest that many drivers would simply ignore it. Traffic flow, however, is not usually a reason offered to resist such a change.

I am pleased that Highways North Yorkshire have placed the location on the Capital Scheme Reserve List and I look forward to seeing the suggestions as and when any proposals are put forward.

North Yorkshire Police are committed to working with the highway authorities responsible for the roads across the force area. We want to lower the number of collisions and reduce the numbers of victims suffering death or injury on our roads and that is being brought about by collaboration between the various agencies that have influence and must be introduced through education, engineering, enforcement and encouragement.

Insp Chris Charlton,

North Yorkshire Police,

Tactical Operations,

Road Policing.

SIR - I read with interest G Sunderland's letter in praise of the BBC, and heartily agree that their standard of programming has been quite educating.

I am glad that people in Carleton have access to Digital TV transmissions (DTT) and the excellent back catalogue of BBC programming.

However being a resident of Skipton, I cannot take advantage of DTT transmissions, not even Channel 5 is available here.

I wrote in April 2004 to the BBC regarding when DTT would be available to Skipton, and the polite response I got was: "It is not possible to provide information on possible further developments of digital terrestrial television coverage at present."

In fact when visiting the postcode lottery (sorry official postcode finder site on the internet), you get: "DTT reception is not currently predicted to be available for this postcode".

The suggestion of the BBC was to buy Freesat from Sky at a cost of approximately £100 for installation - a bit more than your average DTT set top box! Add to that, under the conditions of the TV licence, you pay a percentage for DTT and Sky Satellite.

If we can't receive the signals, and cannot be told when or if we can receive the signals, should we be paying a tax for something we have no hope of receiving?

I understand the BBC have many technical challenges, but when they and the Government boast they've been working on the project since 2001, then we should at least see some timescales!

I don't see how the TV tax can be enforced under the banner of the BBC while it is failing its tax payers, good programming content or not.

Nicholas Foxton,

Pendle Street,

Skipton.

SIR - I refer to the item in Craven Herald on October 21, headed "Rescue dogs pay high price for mercy mission".

What a way to reward your dogs for a job very, very well done. Put them in quarantine for six months - which in human terms, is roughly three-and- a-half years!

"Canis" members knew that this was inevitable, as Mr Haigh says that this is the fifth time it has happened to one of his dogs.

These wonderful animals should not be used under these circumstances until Defra has changed the rules.

There are other countries with search and rescue organisations, whose dogs suffer no travelling restrictions - leave them to deal with emergencies of this type.

Sue Allstack,

Hallstack Kennels,

Wigglesworth.

SIR - I write as a councillor on Silsden Town Council. I attended the recent meeting with Inspector Mark Allsop of Keighley police, as reported in your issue of October 14.

His long speech was friendly, but much of it was irrelevant to the issue being discussed: adequate policing of Silsden.

He failed to see or address the point, which was put succinctly by councillors Edwards and Savage.

In essence this was: the people of Silsden pay a huge sum in total for policing to West Yorkshire Police. They get almost nothing in return: no police station and no policemen on the streets, which are so necessary to make elderly and vulnerable people feel safe, so much so that they avoid going into the town centre after dark.

What seems to be happening is that the lion's share of police time is spent in the centres of Leeds, Bradford, and, to a lesser extent, Keighley.

In other words, we are cross-subsidising the citizens of the two cities, although we have little or nothing to do with them.

It is entirely reasonable that the residents of Leeds and Bradford pay the costs of their (adequate) policing; but the cost of crime fighting in Leeds and Bradford is no more the responsibility of Silsden residents than the residents of Skipton, Harrogate, London or Paris.

We do not mind contributing to the centralised facilities of West Yorkshire Police.

But, with due respect to the untiring efforts of our local PCSO, he cannot do the work of the five policemen who used to patrol the town when the population was half of what it is now.

Warm words from Inspector Allsop cannot change this reality: that we are being short-changed by West Yorkshire Police.

AD Phillips,

Park Green,

Silsden.

SIR - Further to Brian Emmison's letter (October 21) regarding his long wait for a CRB check to be carried out to enable him to volunteer, I would like to appeal to other potential volunteers not to be put off by his experience, which is very unusual.

At the Volunteer Centre we regularly make Enhanced Disclosure Applications (the highest level) to the Criminal Records Bureau for volunteers who wish to work on our Good Neighbour Scheme and Home Service Scheme, as this work entails assisting vulnerable people in the local community.

It is our experience that the process is now much quicker than it was when it was first launched in 2002, and we rarely wait more than three weeks between sending off an application to receiving the Disclosure. There is no charge made by the Criminal Records Bureau to check volunteers.

If anyone would like details of volunteering with our schemes, or would like information on the large variety of other voluntary work that is available in the Craven area, please call us on 01756 701648 or email us at cravenvb@care4free.net.

Dee Pollitt,

Co-ordinator,

Volunteer Centre Craven,

Newmarket Street,

Skipton.

SIR - Let me chuck my two penn'orth into the ring about the future development of Skipton.

The solution is simple: pedestrianise the High Street and build a park and ride then job's a good 'un!

I am a disabled woman. Although "nobbut a classy lass from Cas" (Castleford, West Yorkshire), I have lived in Skipton for the past 12 years and intend doing so for the foreseeable future. In short, I regard Skipton as my home town and I am incredibly proud of the fact - it is a fantastic place to live.

Although I was unable to attend the packed town hall meeting of the minds about the Renaissance, I will not let the powers that be ruin the attractiveness of a traditional market town to the detriment of the residents, workers and tourists alike.

As regards the problem of affordable, local housing - I have no magic solution - I shall have to put up with looking at four-storeyed "lego cum toy town" houses opposite me as I overlook the canal and will be lucky to see the top of Rombalds Moor.

I am not a "tree-hugger" but a row of mature trees will be cut down between Brewery Lane and Eller Beck to make way for the Novo Homes development.

All progress is not forward!

Jane Butterfield,

Brook Street,

Skipton.

Co-operation ends

SIR - Trail Riders Fellowship (TRF) members listened with incredulity to the third reading of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill in the Commons.

At a stroke the Government has effectively criminalised the active recreation of thousands of law abiding TRF members by removing vehicular rights from green lanes used by vehicles for 100 years.

What will this urban perspective Government ban next? Shooting is already in their sights - fishermen be warned.

The new law bans all recreational vehicles, including trail bikes and 4x4s, from all rights-of-way (RoW) not already recorded on the definitive map as Byway Open to all Traffic (BOAT). In addition the law gives national park authorities the power to impose traffic regulation orders (TRO) on byways in national parks.

The law will in effect ban trail bikes and other vehicles from the majority of unsurfaced roads that they have peacefully explored since the invention of the internal combustion engine at the turn of the last century.

The remaining legal byways are so few and far between that there will be no viable way of linking them together to make a day trip.

The result will be that bikes and 4x4s drive up and down the same route rather than making one brief passage in a day or even week.

This overuse will lead to further closures and more concentration in honey-pot areas.

Only five per cent of trails allowed vehicles in the first place. Walkers were amply served by 95 per cent of rights of way which were already vehicle free and also by the new "right to roam" legislation but this was not enough it seems - their militant leaders want it all to themselves.

Anti-vehicle pressure groups, including the Ramblers' Association will no doubt be delighted at this perceived victory but their celebrations may well be short lived.

If they think they have eliminated trail bikes and other vehicles from rights of way they are wrong.

This new law will eliminate all legal and law-abiding citizens and their vehicles but the illegal "scramblers" and yobs will be unaffected by the new legislation.

They are already illegal and will no doubt continue to use their untaxed, uninsured, untested vehicles but without the limits imposed on legal TRF members. The TRF foresees an expansion in illegal use as legal outlets are removed.

Problems such as binge drinking may be given additional resources, it seems, as licensing laws are extended yet peaceful trail riding outlawed. How much will it all cost? Loss of business and the enforcement by an already stretched police force battling to deal with serious crime and terrorism.

Will the police receive new revenue or will they divert precious resource to chase the naughty boys created by the failure to acknowledge a legitimate recreation?

The TRF worked closely with the Government and Defra at all stages of the consultation and drafting process of this legislation.

Despite assurances that the interests of legal trail riders would not be unduly prejudiced, the Government has seen fit to betray the trust of the TRF. This despite the Government's own research paid for by tax payers that vindicated the TRF position.

The TRF will now, in the light of Government behaviour, review its policy of cooperation and would warn other minority interest groups not to trust or co-operate beyond their legal duty with Government departments in the future. They may well just hasten their own demise.

Who will be targeted next by vociferous negative campaigning groups - motorsport enthusiasts, mountain bikers, even horse riders? Watch out!

Ian Packer,

TRF,

PO Box 196,

Derby, DE1 9EY.

SIR - Through your columns we would like to thank everyone who contributed to our two collection days at Tesco supermarket which raised £1,250. This amount will go to the Yorkshire Dales Macmillan Appeal at Airedale General Hospital.

Our thanks also go to volunteer collectors and members of Skipton Rotary Club for helping to collect this amount.

Ann Barker,

Skipton and District

Committee,

Macmillan Cancer Relief.