THE Government's scrappage scheme to kick-start the British car industry, has received both support and some criticism regarding it's effectiveness.

I believe a much simpler and much more effective scheme could be put in place.

I am sure many of your readers will have noticed Northumbria Police are now patrolling in BMW X5's, a very luxurious and expensive 4x4, but also considered to be a poor off-road car.

If the police have a need for such vehicles, why are they not compelled to buy the British built Land Rover Discovery, considered to be one of the best, if not the best off-road 4x4? I am sure the police will claim they have got the best value for money, but have the taxpayers?

Preserving British jobs, rather than German ones has a value I am sure is not in the police calculations.

Better still, is it not time for the Home Office to procure all police, fire and ambulance vehicles in bulk and specifying they must be built in the UK?

This would mean massive bulk savings and preserve British jobs, no doubt of course, this will not be allowed under EU rules! Another great "benefit" of Britain being in the EU.
Coun Colin Wakefield,
Leader of the Independent Group, Sunderland City Council

Bob knows it all
THE saying "cometh the hour cometh the man", is as true today as it ever was. Why have I, and many others, not seen the light before now?
As regards politcal acumen Cameron/Osbourne and Clegg/Cable, none holds a candle to our own Bob Price of Rydal Mount.
The banking system, MPs' expenses or whatever politcal problem arises, Bob has the answer.
His clairvoyance skills tell us what the Conservative party would do in any given situation. The crystal ball, or is it the tarot cards, informs everyone that what Mr Brown is doing is going to be the greatest thing since sliced bread.
In his latest sermon he realises the need for future generations to pay the price of 11 years of the Chancellor's mistakes. He will not be around to pay off his share of the cost, unlike our great grandchildren who will carry the burden.
Maybe he will next explain the demoralising local election results as a global conspiracy, and the European disaster for Labour as a mere drop in the ocean.
Our unelected PM, for Mr Price's benefit, is unsupported by over 50 per cent of the population. Today's predicament has nothing to do with the Thatcher years as Mr Price would like us to believe. You reap what you sow, and boy did we sow a bad batch in 1997 electing New Labour.
Bob, put the crysal ball, the tarot cards and the clairvoyancy away and retire gracefully, something which PM Brown does not have the decency to do.
Leslie Dobson,
Percy Terrace,
Sunderland

Wake up ITV
OK, Newcastle in the Premier League last 16 years, don't upset them, don't mention it!
ITVNews, oh by the way Sunderland AFC have a new manager ... and now the weather.
Messiah has arrived in the toon, people screaming, full coverage outside of Shearer's bar.
ITV on Sunday, June 7, early evening news, Middlesbrough music festival and an elderly sheep lady's efforts for her sheep. OK, OK.
Take That have just played the best rock festival in the area, Oasis were next.
Wake up ITV, stop being anti-Sunderland. Shearer will go.
Fairs Cup? What's this? Most people have never heard of it but a full 20 minutes prime time TV coverage – time to realise Newcastle is not the be all and end all, never has been and never will be!
Rob Hymers,
Houghton

Sack MP offenders
POLITICIANS of all parties have incredible gall to offer pathetic excuses for making excessive expenses claims. They signed them, they take responsibility for them.
"I have done nothing wrong, I have made a mistake, I have not broken the rules" are difficult to stomach when so many of the people they are supposed to represent are suffering real hardship because they have no jobs, or pensions and investments are badly affected by the credit crunch and so on.
Surely it is fraudulent to claim reimbursement for mortgage interest which has not been paid because the loan has ended and for any other amount which has not been paid out?
It is clear that many have taken advantage of a culture of extra reward and of poor monitoring and management of the system. Many of the expressions are not open to interpretation as loosely as they have chosen – "wholly exclusively and necessarily" for the effective performance of the duties of an MP – those three words are extremely tight because they must be applied together and, in the absence of a stated definition, that phrase must mean exactly what it says.
The party leaders must follow their bold early statements with fast, honest and even-handed action. There must be immediate substantial refunds to the Treasury, and the most serious offenders (and whether you like it or not Bill Etherington and Chris Mullin, that is what they are) should be sacked now without any compensation. They cannot be allowed to stand down at the next election without penalty.
Ken Moore,
Houghton

Grumpy busybodies should think twice
I SHOP every Friday morning, at Asda in Grangetown. My husband, over 65, like myself, long overdue retirement, invested our savings on a decent new car, to have something to show for his life's work. I drive that car for now.
We bought a silver Jaguar, which was damaged in Asda's car park while I was shopping. Unable to afford repairs, we exchanged the car for a newer model, two months ago.
I now take great care to park as far away from the jammed-in car owners trying to reverse out of the minuscule, narrow parking bays Asda provides.
The 4x4s take up space from line to line. There is hardly enough room for a mini car, or motorbike, between these bays. Wider spaces close to the entrance are allotted for mums and babies or disabled parking bays.
I suffer from osteoporosis, which is very painful, but because I have not yet bleated for a disabled badge, I join the throng away from the entrance.
On Friday, June 12, I parked at the furthest point from the entrance, next to a perspex trolley shed. A trolley had been left haphazardly alongside the shed wall. I was not inclined to wheel this trolley away, so I pulled in, straddling the white line of the next parking bay, taking up one and a half spaces. There were tons of other spaces available and no signs of a queue of cars waiting to park.
After spending my usual £200 in the store, I pushed my trolley back to my car. As I was unloading my shopping, an elderly couple passed by. The woman obviously has a social problem.
She loudly announced that I was selfish to be taking up two spaces, and really made her mouth go, as if she owned the premises.
I am a 5ft-tall pensioner. Maybe she would have kept quite if I'd been a burly 6ft bald-headed, tattooed bloke. But no, she went on and on.
Perhaps she is saint. Or better yet, she should get a job as a traffic warden and dispense a few nasty tickets every day. These busybodies should examine their own misgivings before inflicting their views on others.
Live and Let Live

Mrs Mills was the greatest
AS the dust settles on the recent pop concerts at the Stadium of Light, I suppose to many fans these are the greatest groups in the world. Whether or not they are great musicians is another thing entirely.
From my experience, the greatest musician that ever lived passed away in February 1978. I, of course, refer to Mrs Gladys Mills, the popular pianist who was plucked from obscurity in the early 1960s and went on to have many hit records like The Mrs Mills Party Medley and who appeared on all the major TV shows of the time like Morecambe and Wise and the Golden Shot playing tracks like I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles and Yellow Submarine.
Mrs Mills was an example to everybody. You wouldn't have seen her standing outside a bingo hall in a headscarf and a pair of training shoes smoking a Woodbine, or dragging a tartan shopping trolley through the streets.
This elderly lady appeared all over the UK thrilling the audiences with her piano skills and a smile for everyone.
I will never forget Mrs Mills!
Mick The Pen Brown

Remember strange bike?
AS a child in the early 1950s when taken for a ride to the seaside, I remember seeing an odd bicycle at the Bents area between Seaburn and Whitburn.
The unusual feature of this bicycle was it was fitted with a steering wheel. The wheel was not just put on top of the fron wheel stem, but connected to the stem by some gearing so tha the wheel was almost vetrical as on a car.
Does anyone else remember this bike and does anybody know of its history.
Many thanks.
Guy Greenwell (former Echo Spannerman)

WHITBURN School reunion (Leaving class of 89) taking place on Saturday, June 27 at 730pm in the Grey Horse, Whitburn.
Gina Barclay,
Sunderland
Email: Ginabarclay8055@aol.com
Telephone: 07968146268

I JUST wanted to pass on my sincerest thanks to all family and friends who attended my 70th birthday party at the Lakeside Club on Saturday, May 30. The kindness shown by everyone was an inspiration. I received some wonderful gifts and cash donations in lieu of gifts for which I am eternally grateful.
I am delighted to let everyone know that I received donations totaling £550, which will be passed to Macmillan cancer research in the next few weeks.
Pat Smith,
Amble Tower,
Lakeside Village
Sunderland

I HAVE a large amount of fleece material – various weights and colours – which I would be willing to donate to a school/hospital/care home craft group – any deserving organisation which could make good use of it. Please contact me on 0191 5213293.
Sandra Arkley

LAST Wednesday we printed a letter from Ben Bradley and the picture of his Class of 49, asking who could name the pupils. Below is Mr Bradley's follow-up letter.

THE school was New Herrington Boy's School. It no longer exists, and there is an old folk's home where it use to be – from the beginning of life's journey to the end, you could say.
List of names for Class of 49. Back row: Brian Wilson, Jim Wardle, Stephen Allen, John Craggs, Malcolm McGregor, Norman Elliott, Bill Bradley, Fred Nesbitt, Henry Hall, Pat Foster, Joe Conn, Alex Alexandra.
Middle row: Donald Dykes, Bob Davison, Albert Hewison, Derek Tate,Bob Ridley, Bill Rogers, Gilbert Browell, Alistare Porthouse, Ken Vardy, Barry Bilton, Jeff Wardle, Silvester Charlton,
Front row: John Hindmarsh, Jackie Bailes, George Davidson, Ken Allen, Ian Turnbull, William (Jock) McKinley, Alfie Blackclock, Derek Allen, Bob Davinson, Clive Bircham, Melvin Osmand.
Some names may be spelt differently, e.g. Porthouse could be Porterhouse.
William (Ben) Bradley

If you have any old photographs of Wearside, contact Rob Ford, Sunderland Echo, Pennywell Industrial Estate, Sunderland SR9 4ER. Tel. 501 7234, or email rob.ford@northeast-press.co.uk

Donations helped us get to world finals
THE dancers from the Fagan School Of Irish Dancing, Washington, who recently travelled to the USA to compete in the World Irish Dancing Championships would like to express their thanks to Sunderland City Council for their kind donation towards their trip.
Thanks also to the parents and pupils in the school and the many people who donated money at demonstrations in The Bridges, Sunderland, and other various functions.
The school was able to completely cover all their travel, accommodation and food expenses over the week.
Veronica Fagan-Milne

Foot in mouth?
I READ with great interest all the correspondence on your Letters Page that emanated from Bill Etherington's statement with regards to his right to claim £400 per month for food on his expenses.
Considering this is just about how much a pensioner gets to live on for a month, I just wonder how much he thought about "foot in mouth"?
A while ago I wrote to all the Tyne and Wear MPs with regard to a huge reduction in funding for the organisation that I worked for at the time, asking for their support to maintain it. Each one wrote back, some even bothered to contact the relevant minister for a response although they were just the usual political platitudes.
Bill Etherington replied on a postcard telling me not to bother him again at his home address.
I'm rather fed up of reading headlines about criminals being "spared jail" for all sorts of spurious reasons – are magistrates so gullible? It's strange how those committing the most heinous acts suddenly turn their lives around after being charged.
The most recent article headlined "disabled man was dealing in drugs" (Echo, June 8), was laughable. The culprit, Anthony Stephenson, said that he could not do community work because of his disabled status – claiming epilepsy as the reason. He was given the non-sentence of six months imprisonment suspended for two years.
Did the magistrates not spot that he was caught dealing drugs from his VW Passat?
An individual with epilepsy not allowed to drive, unless of course they only have seizures at night, in which case Mr Stephenson could quite feasibly carry out community work during the day.
I wonder what the Department of Work and Pensions will have to say about his claim for Disability Living Allowance.
V Milnes

Now she can bully
IN VIEW of the two substantial and repetitive items printed by the Echo about Sharon Hodgson's elevation to the Whips' Office, I imagine that she must be expecting congratulations from the Sunderland electorate.
Indeed, she may well be an inspiration to those who wish to make their way in a certain type of politics today. A combination of astute patronising, nepotism and time-serving and an eye for the maximisation of expenses drawn from the public purse, have reaped their reward.
She is now in a post where she can bully more independent-minded colleagues and contribute even more to the continued degradation of the image of paramilitary democracy in Britain.
Having achieved the Telegraph league table ranking as one of the lowest value-for-money and highest expense-claiming MPs you would have expected her to show some sort of shame.
In fact she displays rank hypocrisy and a total inability to comprehend the perception of her which is now held by so many Sunderland voters.
Stuart Miller,
Highside Drive,
Sunderland

British Nasty Party
I SHARE the abhorrence expressed in your recent editorial to the BNP – the British Nasty Party. But we must keep their "success" in perspective.
It was the result more of the collapse of the Labour vote in the recent European elections than a groundswell of opinion supporting the BNP's policies.
The major political parties must, however, address the issues that concern voters. People are concerned about immigration.
They want to see effective border controls. They want immigration restricted to those with skills in short supply here.
I hope they are also happy that we should give refuge to genuine refugees whose lives may be in danger.
The rise of UKIP has attracted less attention but people are also increasingly sceptical about our membership of the EU. The Conservative party is committed to British membership – but to encourage trade and economic cooperation among members rather than political integration. The Brussels bureaucracy must also be rolled back and the major parties need to take this on board, too.
The relative "success" of both UKIP and the BNP in the European elections is more because the major parties have failed to address the concerns of voters than because of the electorate's support for the policies of UKIP and the BNP.
Peter Wood,
Chairman,
Sunderland Conservatives

In harm's way
I BELIEVE that, as a result of the recession, many unemployed teenagers have decided to join the Army. How exciting it must seem, join up and see the world, travel to interesting places, play lots of sports and learn a trade as well!
I only hope these youngsters realise that if this country gets involved in foreign conflicts, they may have to put their lives in harm's way.
And if they do sacrifice their lives in the service of their country, I hope their parents don't keep complaining to the media that the war was illegal.
The sad fact is soldiers get killed in wars.
If your son or daughter joins up, you have to accept that.
H Whipple,
Coach Road Estate,
Washington

SUNDERLAND Branch members of the British Heart Foundation held a two-day fund-raising collection at Morrisons, Seaburn, on Thursday and Friday, June 18 and 19. The total raised was a mind-blowing £780. In view of the present economic times this is a remarkable total. It cements the view that the folk of the North East, especially Sunderland, are the most generous in the UK.
The money raised here stays in the North and helps fund research into heart disease which is still the UK's biggest killer, BHF nurses which Sunderland now has, and equipment such as defibrilators. This is just a small sample of where the funds are used.
All this would not be possible without the support and generosity of you all and the volunteers who gave their time to hold the collection.
Contrary to belief the BHF does not receive any funds whatsoever from Government and all fund raisers are volunteers.
At this moment the Sunderland Branch is desperately in need of volunteers, so if you have a few hours to spare and would like more information please contact Jim Machin 01915483739 or Michael Roper 01915342767.
Michael Roper
Sunderland Branch Secretary

THE corespondent who responded in the Letters Page on June 19 to my letter (Hard decisions, June 8), by focusing on just the first two words "We know" from just a single sentence, is rather bizarre. I've heard of cherry picking facts from reports and statements to win an argument, but to cherry pick only two words from a letter of 164 must be desperation.
For all those who may be interested the full sentence, read: "We know that if a Tory Government had been in power during this global financial meltdown they would have done very little, if anything, to help the ordinary working person."
Bob Price,
Rydal Mount,
Sunderland