ISN’T it just typical of Britain today that someone like Colin Atkinson born in this country can get no help just because they have lived abroad for four years.

There are people from all over the world risking life and limb to get to Britain and the welfare state. So you students who go back-packing round the world make sure you’re back within 12 months – or else.

As for Colin, can I suggest he hitch hikes to Calais, throws his passport away and climbs in the back of a lorry bound for the UK and see the difference.

One thing for sure he will at least get bed and breakfast with a bit of spending money.

I thought we paid our taxes to help our fellow countrymen when the going gets tough.

At the moment Britain seems to be tightening its belt on the poor while sending money all over the globe to far away places that are better off than our own.

And if we fetched our troops out of Afghanistan how many Colin Atkinsons would that feed and house, not to mention the loss in life that it’s costing us.

It’s time we started from scratch with the motto ‘charity begins at home’.

Barry Tinker

Longwood

A realistic view

ON reading the story about Colin Atkinson (Huddersfield Examiner, May 14) I felt shocked and disgusted at this country’s treatment of its citizens.

Any other European Union country would help their own people receive the basics of food and shelter, but it seems this country thinks of its own hard working taxpayers as nothing more than second class citizens and puts the welfare of illegal immigrants and other foreign nationals first.

This is not a racist, small-minded Englander’s view, it’s a realist’s view and it’s a shame people can’t see the bigger picture – or is it a case of people don’t want to see it?

I just hope this doesn’t happen to a member of anyone else’s family and every member of the Department for Work and Pensions and the immigration services should hang their head in shame.

Stuart Greenhalgh

Marsden

Tough time for business

FOREIGN Secretary William Hague’s message to the country’s bosses is beyond belief.

It just goes to show how out of touch this pompous politician really is. He could use his time better sorting out the problems in Egypt, Libya and Iran.

During the two years this mis-match of a Coalition Government has been in power they have given very little support to industry, especially the smaller manufacturers like ourselves.

Employers contributions to National Insurance have increased, business rates have just risen by nearly 6%, red tape is just as bad and the EU is a total disaster area.

In this period our company has exported machinery to China, Brazil, Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, USA, Turkey and, recently, Uzbekistan.

Only one machine valued at £200,000 has been sold within the European Union (excluding the UK).

As a consequence, I say to William Hague we have worked hard, opened new markets (with an order pending for Kazakhstan) and our employees have made a major contribution in our own small way to help the UK during these difficult times.

And, finally, members of the opposition Labour Party should not feel smug as the Blair/Brown years were a disaster as well.

David Armitage

Chairman, Sellers Engineers

Giants need our support

IN response to Rugby Forward Meltham who wrote to mailbag with regard to the lady’s letter about the poor attendance at the recent Giants v Swinton Lions match in the Challenge Cup.

Agreed that the result was pretty much predictable and that many players would have been rested for the encounter.

The kick-off time, however, was reasonable for Super League at 3pm unlike Sunday’s all Super League clash with London Broncos which was re-scheduled, I suspect, at the convenience of television coverage to 5pm, hence the definite low attendance.

However, my point is that regardless of opposition we need to show our support for the Giants.

After all, it was only a mere few weeks ago and still ongoing that neighbours Bradford Bulls found themselves hovering above receivership.

It’s a fate I hope the Giants should never fall foul of, especially being the birthplace of Rugby League.

Of course, there are many reasons for a club to go into administration – poor or low attendance ranking quite high among them along with other factors.

But suffice to say we should all turn out to the Galpharm to support the Giants irrespective of competition or opposition we face.

Clinton Simpson

Giants Fan

View from the hill

IF at some time in the future Chris Thomas (Letters, May 11) achieves his wish of feasting while looking out of the windows from a future Castle Hill restaurant, he keeps in mind the fact that many people have been denied the privilege of doing just that for many years now because the venue for drinking, dining, and the toilets were removed by the people he wishes to erect a poor substitute for his convenience.

All the while the view remains the same.

Len Sandford

Lepton

Ban dogs from parks

READING the Examiner on Thursday, May 10 about the dog walker who was mugged in Greenhead Park made me smile.

I thought what a shame the mugger did not take the dog. It would have been one less to keep our parks clean All owners who live near parks think they have the right to take their dogs into parks and it should be stopped, clean up or no cleaning up.

H Barrowclough

Waterloo

Mobile phones are safe

DURING the past two decades the general public has become increasingly concerned about potential adverse health effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields such as from electrical power distribution and mobile phone use.

For 20 years the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s Biological Effects Policy Advisory Group has reviewed the evidence on this subject.

Our most recent Position Statement, based on a review of 726 peer-reviewed scientific papers, was published this week.

It finds that the overwhelming majority of the evidence does not indicate that normal exposure to low-level electromagnetic fields has harmful health effects, such as cancer.

We are reassured in the consistency of these findings and this is in common with those reached by the majority of other scientific bodies.

The media continues to feature stories on this subject, sometimes giving them more prominence than scientifically warranted.

We would, therefore, remind research institutions that while they have a vested interest in encouraging publications from their staff, there should be more counterbalancing pressure to hold organisations to account if such publications are found to be erroneous.

Science can never prove a negative – for example that something is totally safe.

Some may favour a precautionary approach and limit their exposure to modern technologies such as mobile phones, but this is a personal decision rather than one which follows directly from the existing scientific knowledge.

Prof Tony Barker

Institution of Engineering and Technology

Disabled and benefits

WHILE we understand that reforms to the disability benefits system will include more vigorous assessments of physical capability, we feel there should be as much focus on the extra financial burden suffered by disabled people across the UK.

A disabled adult’s risk of being on a low income is much greater than that of a non disabled adult for all family types.

In reforming the welfare system it’s crucial the government takes such issues into account if they are to ensure fairness going forward. We encourage all people with a disability and their carers to visit www.turn2us.org.uk to check their eligibility for benefits and charitable funds and access up to date information about benefits and changes to the benefits system.

Rob Tolan, Head of Research and Policy

Elizabeth Finn Care