MICHAEL EMMERSON's solicitors (Echo, June 13) think courts do all they can to convict and punish and that the police and probation service are hunky-dory too. Michael also thinks that most people who express an opinion don't know what they are talking about.

For 25 years my home has suffered frequent attacks by vandals and repeated burglaries. My husband and I have been attacked trying to defend our property. The response from the police? You are guilty of common assault if you try to stop the perpetrators.

I got the crime figures for my own street for one year and it worked out an average of seven crimes per household. The police response? What else do you expect for an inner city area?

My reply – that I live in a small town. If I did live in an inner city that is no reason for me to have to sit and suffer crime – received short shrift. The police response? "I have no intention of replying to you again, this correspondence is now closed".

I do not condemn all police officers but it is increasingly obvious that as far as Northumbria Police is concerned, there seems to be a policy of ignoring crime they term petty and downgrade crimes to make them seem less serious than they are.

This also applies to the Crown Prosecution Service which will do its utmost to downgrade the seriousness of offences.

Last summer a man carrying an unsheathed sword tracked my husband for over a quarter of a mile until he got to a secluded spot where he attacked him from behind, trying to cut his head off. In the ensuing struggle he sliced open my husband's leg. He was later arrested.

Did the police photograph my husband's wound? No. Did the Crown Prosecution Service charge the man with attempted murder ... wounding with intent ... perhaps assault? No. He was charged with affray – definition: breach of the peace by two or more persons.

I'm surprised that my husband was not charged with illegally trying to prevent his own murder.

So, Michael, don't try to pull the wool over anyone's eyes that the so-called justice system in this country is working because most of us know better.

I get report after report in my area of the problems people are experiencing and I know they do not exaggerate. New York turned itself around through a policy of zero tolerance and that is exactly what we need here.
Sheila Ellis,
Councillor Houghton Ward

Hats off to you
I HAVE just been to view the new Tansy Centre in South Hylton and I am very impressed with it.

What amazes me is all the hard work and organisation the committee put in to raise money for this building, so I am asking the residents of the village, oldand new, to support the upkeep by joining in any activities or functions they advertise because I really think the very hard-working Tansey committee deserve a medal for all their very hard work and commitment.

Well done and hats off to you all for this great achievement.
J Smith,
South Hylton,
Sunderland

ANCIENT TRAVELLER
I dreamt I was over sixty
And that made me feel so blue,
Then I woke up in the morning
And found that it was true.
But then I was granted a bus pass
So I can travel free,
I just love being older –
Even sixty-three!
J Chambers,
Rickleton Village,
Washington

Flat rate rise, please
I THINK the Government should adopt a prices and income policy like it had in the 1970s. The Government should have a new social contract between employers, employees and Government.

It could work out how much rise in wages could be afforded, and set a flat rise for everyone. If the average wage is £25,000 a year why not set a below inflation target of two per cent and give everyone a £500 flat rate rise, whatever their existing wage.

This would benefit the low-paid and raise up the lowest paid, but not cost the country any more.
M Lathan,
Kirkstone Avenue,
Sunderland

Revamp seafront
THE other night I was watching videos on youtube, when I discovered a one from Morcambe seafront. It was of the old Pleasureland theme park. This video was taken just before demolision. This place was left to go to rack and ruin.

It seems like another seafront closer to home is going the same way! When our annual airshow comes, (again! Something different for one year please!) visitors and our Tyneside counterparts are going to laugh at what we have for the other 363 days of the year! There is the fairground, the Lambton Worm park and our Seaburn Centre! Big attractions!

I know we don't get the weather, but I do think that with Metroland closing; there is an ideal gap in the market for our city to grasp.
Its about time something was done!
K.Miller,
High Barnes,
Sunderland

Build a Sea World
NOW the Seaburn funfair has gone, would it not be a good idea to build a Sea World conservation Centre, like the Blue Reef centre at Tynemouth?

It would certainly bring many thousands of amazed visitors to Seaburn and Roker. Also, it helps to preserve and educate folk about our protected marine life. We badly need something at the former Seaburn funfair site that is constructive and interesting.
Peter Kerr,
Fulwell,
Sunderland

Unfair redundancy laws should be changed
I HAVE been alarmed by the current laws on redundancy.

Unfortunately, a colleague of mine is to be made redundant. They have worked for this company since the age of 16 and have 14 years of immaculate employment service. The redundancy package, which is to be offered to all employees is:

Two weeks pay for each year of service, which consists wholly of weeks in which the employee was less than 22; four weeks pay for each year in which the employee was 22 or above, but less than 41 and six weeks pay for each year of service in which the employee was 41 years old or older.

I have discovered that this is a perfectly legal offer. I am astounded that this is plausible. I believe this is a clear discrimination against a person's age. I cannot see any justification as to why any person can be penalized due to their age in relation to employment.

This is no different to discriminating against somebody's race, religion or sexuality. I cannot understand the reasons why the Government sees fit to allow such laws to stand.
J Purvis,
Sunderland

What absolute tosh!
I'M afraid that Bob Price (Letters, June 11), has slipped into that fantasy world inhabited by other well known labour sophists. The symptoms are clear for all to see. These are manifested in 20/20 vision in rose tinted views and the irresistible need to rewrite history.

Bob states that "Our Labour council helped bring Nissan to Wearside and Margaret Thatcher tried to hijack that for her own ends". What absolute tosh! The Conservative Government of the day was instrumental in bringing Nissan to Sunderland. In a project such as this only central Government could be prime movers and principle facilitators.

Bob's comments on "the handful" of Conservative councillors "who bothered to turn up for the annual council meeting on May 16" (sorry Bob the Council meeting was on the 14th) or the reconvened meeting the following day were as wrong as the dates he used.

The meeting was brought forward by the Leader of the Council from the long established time of 6.00pm to 4.00pm, which prevented 16 of the now 22 Conservative councillors from attending because of work or business. Those who could attend looked happy enough to me. Taking nine seats in a year gives a warm glow.

Get over the bitterness Bob. Draw a line and move on.
Coun Alan Wright (Conservative),
Barnes View,
Sunderland

It didn't happen
WITH regard to your article on the Ghost Walk in the East End, can I point out that Sunderland highwayman Robert Drummond could not have been transported to Australia, as Robert Moon claims.

Records show that Drummond was born around 1680 and was hanged at Tyburn in 1730. At some point during his life he was convicted and sentenced to transportation.

But transportation to Australia did not begin until 1787. Before that British convicts were sent to America. Drummond was executed long before the well-documented, historic "First Fleet" of 11 ships set sail for New South Wales to establish a convict settlement.

In his book The Sundered-Land, Mr Moon mentions the "1841 Union Workhouse Act". I believe he is referring to the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act whereby the Poor Law Commission was given the power to unite parishes to form Poor Law Unions to care for local paupers. This came into force in Sunderland in 1836 and I can find no reference to an "1841 Union Workhouse Act" – it would appear that such an Act does not exist.
S Vincent,
Millfield,
Sunderland