Friday's Letters: Railways hold the key to improved transport

Our roads are inundated seven days a week and almost 24 hours per day with containers and heavy transport that doesn't even pay for the

damage they do or the billions of pounds used for repair.

Year by year, it gets worse due to the import of goods from overseas and it will not get better in the five years that this coalition is aiming for.

There is no instant solution with toll roads, although you could pass a quick law for the benefit of the M6 toll road and ensure that all heavy

goods, as interpreted above, should be made to use the toll road. Five pounds for a 25-mile trip must be peanuts for the haulage companies, payable at the exit.

The number one priority for the future of this country should be the railway system. This should be helped in every way possible in the movement of heavy goods. It was used before Beeching for the container business and should be used again.

Forget politics – these sort of changes could take 10-20 years. It's something we have to do if we want our country to succeed and bring it back to is former glory. We have to open our minds and our eyes. There are so many things involved that could make new industries for Britain.

The Conservative part of this coalition wants to keep the City and all that it entails.

So talk to our large industrial builders and architects, who need the bankers. These are the people who have to look to the future.

A study of the Japanese transport systems wouldn't go amiss. But, don't ask them or use them, they will take it over at the drop of a hat and all we will be left with is the maintenance business.

Our motorways and main roads could then be used to transport people in cars and buses and would be used by goods vans and lorries carrying fresh food. We would even get a greener Britain as well as a Greater Britain.

From: D Birch, Smithy Lane, Cookridge, Leeds.

Farewell to a great man of Liberalism

From: Peter J Brown, Connaught Road, Middlesbrough.

WITHIN days of the death of the great socialist and trade unionist, Jimmy Reed, came the sad news of the death of the great former Liberal MP, Sir Cyril Smith (Yorkshire Post, September 4).

He was a great Parliamentarian who never sought office but was content

to leave a impression on Parliament. When he won the Rochdale by-election for the Liberals from Labour in 1972, it brought the number of Liberal MPs up from six to seven.

Looking back on those days, it seems incredible that many Liberal Democrats were disappointed with this year's election result.

Sir Cyril suffered from a health problem that made him overweight, and led to him being ridiculed. It is also a mystery why he was never given a peerage. He could have contributed greatly to the debates in the House of Lords. In today's politics and Parliament, could we ever see the likes of Sir Cyril Smith again? I very much doubt it.

Same old politicians

From: Coun Steve Ayris, Hillsborough Ward and Cabinet Member for

Independent & Healthy Living, Sheffield Council.

RECENTLY, it has been difficult to open the pages of the local media without reading about Labour MPs falsely accusing everyone else of breaking promises.

Some people might remember the manifesto on which Labour MPs stood stated: "We know that the political system has let people down and there can be no return to business as usual at Westminster. Our manifesto sets out plans to give people … a referendum on moving to the alternative vote for the House of Commons."

It was therefore interesting to see that Sheffield Labour MPs Clive Betts, David Blunkett, Paul Blomfield, Meg Munn and Angela Smith all voted against a referendum on the Alternative Vote in Parliament on September 6. Despite all the assurances that they are in favour of electoral reform and they too want a "new politics", it's clear that they are the same old Sheffield Labour Party.

Cruel case of dog's death

From: Lucy McBain, Roslyn Crescent, Hedon, East Yorkshire.

ALTHOUGH I'm a dog owner, I'm not a sentimentalist but I was extremely distressed and angered by the case of Gary Marshman, the cretin jailed for murdering Ron and Enid Bisby's dog, Jess (Yorkshire Post, September 7).

It's hard to imagine how this poor couple are coping with the loss of their pet. I sincerely hope that when Marshman is released, his acquaintances and neighbours remember what he did and make his life a misery.

I'd guess that his current cellmates won't be overly impressed by his latest crime, either, so let's hope they also show him the error of his ways.

As for Mr and Mrs Bisby, I'm sure their friends and community will do all they can to support them – I can only offer my heartfelt sympathy.

White Horse sightings

From: AG Parker, Central Square, Brigg, North Lincolnshire.

I REFER to the article concerning the White Horse of Kilburn (Yorkshire Post, August 21). In the second paragraph of the article, Paul Jeeves claims that the White Horse can be seen from as far afield as North Lincolnshire. The Howardian hills, just to the south of the White Horse, can be seen in good visibility from the viewpoint at Flixborough north of Scunthorpe. However, these hills would appear to block further views northwards. It may be possible to retain a view of this feature from a viewpoint further west, eg Crowle/Thorne Moors, but even then I think it would be difficult to locate this feature.

The White Horse faces towards the west and from North Lincolnshire the direction to view the White Horse is slightly to the west of north which would not seem to offer good viewing possibilities, especially with a range of hills intervening.

A nation in decline

From: David W Wright, Uppleby, Easingwold, North Yorkshire.

WHAT is it about we British and our constant need to get embroiled in other countries' problems, and to be obsessed with scandals, tittle-tattle about politicians and apparently only concerned with what

happens to Big Brother, X Factor and Coronation Street?

The latest furore about the Blair memoirs and the Pakistani match-fixing allegations seem to overshadow the hugely important matters facing this broke country.

Immigration is up more than 20 per cent from last year, there is now speculation about the future of the Gurkhas, our roads are crumbling, we bend over backwards to appease minorities while our French neighbours simply dismantle illegal gipsy camps and send them back by the plane load to Eastern Europe.

The British disease is almost past recovery and our politicians waffle and fail to make any impression on our continuing decline. Come back Enoch Powell.

'Red mist' of policeman who assaulted prisoner

From: Peter R Hyde, Kendale View, Driffield, East Yorkshire.

WHILE I in no way condone the actions of the police sergeant who assaulted a female prisoner and consider him both a bully and a fool deserving of the punishment meted out to him, I think I know why he behaved as he did (Yorkshire Post, September 6).

Having been a custody sergeant in a busy station, I know he would be under some stress and here he is, faced with what he perceives to be yet another awkward prisoner who will not co-operate, probably not the first that shift, so he finally snaps and is determined to show how to deal with such people.

The red mist descends and he drags her off, throwing her into a cell.

I'll wager when he realises what he has done he makes every effort to get her medical attention. I feel sorry for the female officer who blew the whistle on him as she will no doubt be subject to harassment by her colleagues who failed to back her up and through misguided loyalty would try to defend the sergeant. They will see her as a danger to themselves.

High reward for failure

From: Michael C Taylor, Gervase Drive, Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

REGARDING your "happy ending to a tall story as residents move into St Paul's city lofts apartment block" (Yorkshire Post, September 3), happy for who? Not the taxpayer.

After the Sheffield airport fiasco, given away because it did not make a profit, we now find out that the loan of millions of pounds from Yorkshire Forward will only be repaid, to a German bank, if the development makes a profit, which, as your article states, is viewed unlikely.

I thought we were supposed to be moving on from rewarding failure.

Change of address

From: Peter R Hyde, Kendale View, Driffield, East Riding.

WHY is it that after all these years, some banks, and even BT's 192 online service, still use the terms North and South Humberside?

The name was consigned to the scrapheap years ago and yet we in East Yorkshire still get letters and other communications addressed to North Humberside.

It makes me furious. All circulars addressed to me with that hated address are consigned to the paper bin without even being opened. Take note.

True nature

From: Phyllis Capstick, Hellifield, Skipton, North Yorkshire.

AS GM crops seem to have entered this country through the back door, how will this affect the vital work of bees or will they die out?

After all, genetically modified crops are not natural, they have been tweaked by "clever" humans, interfering with nature, the same goes for clones.

We all should live in tune with nature, not try to manipulate it for our benefit.

Nature will win in the end.

Keep away

From: Ron Farley, Camblesforth, near Selby.

I READ that Gordon Brown has announced plans to increase global access to education and boost internet use in Africa – and work to secure economic justice in Africa as part of his global policy work.

Good. Keep him away from this country so that he can do no more harm. Sorry, Africa.