YP Letters: Litter-strewn welcome to visitors to Yorkshire

WITH reference to your recent headline ‘MP tells striking students to pick up litter’ (The Yorkshire Post, February 16), as a resident close to Bedale in North Yorkshire, an article in our local newspaper is inviting hundreds of us to help at the forthcoming Tour de Yorkshire cycle event.

This event will no doubt attract thousands of visitors from not only the UK but from the continent – France and Germany come to mind. May I express my disgust and embarrassment as to what they will find as they drive north up the A1.

I have never seen as much (possibly from landfill) remnants of plastic sheeting dangling in all the roadside trees, together with blown out and shredded lorry tyres all along the grass verges. Additionally, there were over-flowing litter bins in all the laybys. What an impression one would get upon landing on our shores and witnessing a country with a broken infrastructure, together with an increasing number of people with no pride and respect. A materialistic ‘me, me, me’ society has evolved, together with a lack of strong political leadership. This, coupled with austerity, has created an extremely worrying period.

We are tying judges’ hands

From: Bob Watson, Baildon.

THE four low-lifes who were in an out-of-control stolen lorry which killed a pedestrian as it ploughed into three cars and a house have been given jail sentences of between 10-and-a-half and 13 years (The Yorkshire Post, February 22). These are totally inadequate terms, especially considering what will actually be served.

In his comments, Judge Jeremy Richardson stated that he was restricted in his sentencing by the 14-year maximum for death by dangerous driving.

Doesn’t this though beg the question as to why we need maximum sentences at all? No two cases are ever the same, so let’s give judges of all cases the ability to hand down longer sentences.

At the moment, far too often, we are seeing sentences given that do nothing to reflect the severity of the cases involved. This has to change.

Split decision on railways

From: ME Wright, Harrogate.

THE report by David Behrens on the Rail Delivery Group’s latest ‘split ticketing’ obfuscations comes as no surprise (The Yorkshire Post, February 23). RDG’s Paul Plummer says that the Government must “pull the levers of change”. His terminology betrays an antediluvian mindset, which predates David’s “analogue” reference; but will they?

One Leeds to London ticket, by way of example, should allow us to travel at our convenience, splitting the journey if we wish to visit aunt Flossie, regardless of ‘provider’. In tune with so many of their Westminster chums, said ‘providers’ can fight like rats in a sack over who gets what. If they don’t like it, let them hand the keys back.

Dogma over speed limits

From: Michael Green, Baghill Green, Tingley, Wakefield.

I FULLY agree with Geoffrey North who writes (The Yorkshire Post, February 19) that Leeds City Council is imposing very expensive 20mph blanket speed limits all over the city, rather than targeting areas with known problems.

The truth is that the council doesn’t seem to be interested in tackling particular identified problems. All they really want is to impose their own dogma, and find an excuse to make life as difficult as possible for all motorists. And they get away with it because virtually nobody exercises their right to object.

The tragedy is that the council can’t even do it right anyway! It is now re-advertising proposals in my area for the third time, having fouled it up twice already and having to do it all over again.

Police cuts put us at risk

From: Peter Hyde, Driffield.

I SOMETIMES meet a serving police officer socially. Being a retired officer myself, I chat to him about the job. He says that nobody seems to care much about standards due to lack of support from the Government and the bosses.

The CPS refuse cases for court and order cautions much of the time. Morale is at an all time low. I can well understand why things have reached these low standards, taking into account the massive reduction in police numbers, and financing, the Government has imposed on the service. Thank you, Theresa May, for putting lives and property at risk.

Not known at this address

From: Terry Wright, 
Bempton Lane, Flamborough, Bridlington

I WAS disappointed that some of the addresses for your report on the top SMEs were given as North and South Humberside. As you know, such counties do not exist. Following communication with my MP Sir Greg Knight, this is now unacceptable as these counties are not on the Post Office register of addresses.