SIR - I was appalled to learn that our armed forces' families are living in squalid and unfit quarters.

The housing is neglected, damp and so dirty that they do not even meet basic hygienic conditions.

What a way to treat one of the most well-disciplined and efficient armed forces in the world. The irony here is that even our prisoners and refugees are better treated.

This is on top of the fact that our forces are provided with sub-standard weapons, supplies and equipment to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq.

It's a shame when successive governments have squandered millions on unnecessary projects like the Millennium Dome and ever-increasing bureaucracy.

I think it is high time our politicians sit up and rectify this injustice. Remember that we are not a Third World country and we are, after all, living in the 21st century.

J Lad, Dorset Close, Bradford