Robbers’ haul was irrelevant

I REFER to your report on the duo who robbed the bookmakers at knifepoint (Yorkshire Post, August 2).

Robert Sandford, lawyer for one of the duo, said it was only a moderate amount of money.

“It’s not a case of somebody who robbed a bank,” he said with regard to the robbers escaping with £135.

It doesn’t matter if it was £1.35 – the fact that staff were threatened with a knife makes it a very serious crime worthy of prison.

Striking case
of old chestnut

From: Hilary Andrews, Wentworth Court, Leeds.

WHY do Unite insist on the old chestnut of “it could compromise patient safety” whenever it calls a strike over changes in the NHS working patterns.

I suspect the truth is that patient safety will be increased if pathology staff work a 24 hour shift system where the department is staffed fully. This is really an issue of staff not wanting to give up the extra salary they get from doing on-call duties.

I certainly think they are underpaid for the invaluable work they do but Unite are quite wrong to misrepresent their case!

Losing count

From: Iain Morris, Caroline Street, Saltaire, Bradford.

THE Archbishop of Canterbury has praised work done in parishes in the Bradford diocese after the Bishop of Bradford voted for its demise. Yet something else lost to Bradford to be centred in Leeds.

Tarmac for Tour

From: T Howarth Firth, Salendine Nook, Huddersfield.

I READ with interest the front page article (Yorkshire Post, August 3) that our beloved government has decided that the Tour de France starting in Yorkshire next year is to be re-classified as being hosted by England. I trust that this will include the financing of the event and that I in Kirklees certainly will be able to look forward to the bill for road resurfacing purely for the Tour being reimbursed to the council.