WHAT a sad, sad spectacle we have when our own Government are neutered by their own actions and support for violent intervention to the extent that Russia simply ignores them.

A week after fighting began between Russian and Georgian forces over the breakaway region of South Ossetia we hear that George Bush thinks “... bullying and intimidation are not acceptable ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st century ...”

We also have to listen to our Foreign

Secretary, David Miliband, stating the obvious, in that “..force is not the basis for resolving difficult issues and is not the basis for international

relations ....”

The problem with these words is that they are spoken by the representatives of two countries who have and continue to engage in bullying, intimidation and are not afraid to use force to resolve affairs in their perceived favour. Russia will never listen to what they – and I’m afraid the rest of the world – see as hypocritical thugs denouncing others for something they do themselves.

If they had listened to the democratic voices of the millions who took to the streets in an attempt to make them see sense they wouldn’t be the waste of space they appear to be on the world stage and lives would be saved.

Ray Deans

Deighton

Just a few points . . .

I MUST reply to William A Kirkby’s letter regarding the planned new Tesco in Huddersfield.

Point one: Its size drawing people to it and maybe other supermarkets will shut. People will shop where they want if the price is right. I have not heard of any of the supermarkets I mentioned closing.

Point 2: Tesco causing town centre shops to close. Have you walked through the town centre recently and seen the shops that have closed; the economy rules this not New Tesco.

Point 3: The location. How many customers using the present Tesco site come by bus? As for congestion on the ring road it already happens; hence the big debate at the George Hotel about parking.

Point 4: We have elected councillors and I would hope that all councillors whatever their political background look after our town’s regeneration.

Point 5: Are we now dictating who should own land and how much? If so, who owns all the land at the top of Crosland Road?

Oh, as for bringing in our local MP. I do not think we would have heard so much from him if we had had a Labour-run council. He did not have much to say on our behalf about the changes at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.

DC

Salendine Nook.

Tesco’s eyesore store

ANYONE concerned about Tesco’s buildings should visit their Oakham store in Rutland. It is awful, inside and out, and looks as if it has been built using the cheapest possible materials.

Oakham is a very attractive town but Tesco is such an eyesore it makes you wonder how it ever got planning permission!

Beverley Beaumont

Lindley

Creepy crawlies and Kirklees!

WHAT a load of maggots – and cockroaches ... Yes, that is what I had in my bin recently, due to the strike action by bin and other Kirklees staff.

I rang the council a number of times as very young children play near the bins and the maggots were sometimes dropping on the floor round the bin. Some staff were sympathetic and some were not; get bleach and hot water on it I was told. I explained that cats or foxes were ripping open the excess bags on top of the bin – which they eventually collected – but the bin they would not touch.

I am disgusted with the way Kirklees handled the bin situation, and will think carefully before voting in the next council elections. I have heard that we are due another strike in September; let’s hope that our “award-winning” council treats us a bit better next time.

I applaud the residents of Longwood for their bin blockade. Well done; I wish I had your courage!

Fed up Honley resident.

A faulty memory, perhaps?

STEPHEN DORRIL says in his letter (August 15) that Kali Mountford had said there is “no such thing as a north-south divide” and then goes on to describe her as “barmy”.

Puzzled by this assertion I rang Mr Dorril, who told me he was quoting from an article “two or three years ago, either in the Holme Valley Express or the Examiner”. No, he couldn’t remember the exact date nor did he have a copy of the cutting, but he “distinctly remembered her saying something like that”.

I have the advantage of an online research facility from the House of Commons Library and I have just searched their extensive news database of all 408 references in the last five years in all UK publications to Kali Mountford MP.

There are no references to her stating there is “no such thing as a north-south divide”.

In fact she has championed the “Northern Way” as a member of the committee of the regions and has spoken of the need for more investment in our region.

I suggest Mr Dorril’s memory is faulty on this occasion. Perhaps other letter writers, or the Examiner, should check the facts before letters are printed?

Ian Leedham

Office manager, Kali Mountford MP

In her column Commons Comment in the Express and Chronicle of June 13, 2003, Kali Mountford MP wrote: “ No two places in the country are alike. In fact, no two wards in my Colne Valley constituency are alike, so it is not surprising that economic development has to be considered on a local and regional basis. Talk of a north-south divide is long past its sell-by date”

– Editor

Double collection, quadruple pay!

BRILLIANT! I wish I’d thought of it before I retired. This is how the system works. The council provides a service to remove bags of garden rubbish. You ring up for this service and then wait.

The binmen don’t appear for four weeks, so you complain. The binmen then come on a Sunday (double time, clever eh?); but, even cleverer, they only take half the load. So you complain again. They are then obliged to do the round again (in overtime), thus getting twice as much extra pay for the same job. They will of course get away with it because it is public money from a bottomless pit. Come on councillors, get to grips with your employees. This is our money you are wasting.

Peter

Huddersfield

What’s the point of jail here?

ON Friday I was intrigued by two items of news that summed up perfectly the rather puzzling judiciary that operates in this country.

Welsh football referee Steve Raskin was jailed for eight months for claiming £17,000 in disability benefits while running around refereeing football matches.

Middlesex illegal immigrant Palwinder Singh Johal was jailed for two years for impersonation. He charged £100 a time for sitting the driving test theory exam (he apparently did this over 100 times).

There are some naughty people about; benefit fraud and impersonation are serious crimes. But are jail terms either relevant or desirable?

Neither of these characters poses a danger to society, although they may become so after doing time.

Our prisons are overflowing with people who shouldn’t really be there. Mr Raskin should have assets worth £17,000 seized and ordered to do free refereeing for a while. Mr Johal should be deported.

It’s not rocket science is it?

Uncle Grumpy

Golcar

New ragwort warning

I AM writing in response to Katie Campling’s article on ragwort “Get rid of this killer weed” (Examiner August 16).

The article stated that ragwort is “not thought to be dangerous to humans”, but World Horse Welfare would like to urge people to take extreme caution when handling it. Humans can absorb the poison through their skin, so ragwort should NEVER be handled without gloves and dust masks.

Ragwort is a hooligan plant which spreads incredibly quickly; once it flowers about 200,000 seeds per plant are open to the elements and this year World Horse Welfare field officers have answered record numbers relating to it. Under the 1959 Weeds Act the Secretary of State may serve an enforcement notice on the occupier of land on which injurious weeds, including common ragwort, are growing. The occupier of the land is legally required to take action to prevent the spread of such weeds.

Further information about ragwort can be found at www.worldhorsewelfare.org or by calling 01953 497238.

Hannah Rowley

PR officer, World Horse Welfare (the new name for the ILPH)

Anyone know Blaggy?

I AM looking for an old Army mate of mine, Steven Blagborough (Blaggy). He left the Army (1 Duke of Wellington Regiment) now 3 Yorks in about 1984 and joined the Huddersfield TA. I last saw him in Huddersfield in 1986. Any help would be appreciated. Please contact me on 07907 183387.

Geoff Mitchell

Bradford

And how about Joe, too?

I AM trying to trace descendants of Joe Hinchliffe, born in 1900 at Cross Grove Street, Springwood, Huddersfield. His mother was Kate Hinchliffe nee Burgess and his father was James Henry Hinchliffe from Lockwood. James had a sister Alice. Any help would be appreciated; tony@hinchliffe14.freeserve.co.uk

TONY HINCHLIFFE