THE decline of the traditional British pub is a travesty in itself.
But the main cause of this is having catastrophic effects on people's quality of everyday life. Cheap alcohol which is readily available from off-licences and supermarkets, is the fuel behind so much antisocial behaviour on streets up and down the country.

In the days when young people predominantly drank in a local pub or club they were in a controlled environment and were little fish in a big pond. These days when they are drinking on our streets or in our parks they are controlling our environment.

They are fuelled with cheap drink and under the impression that they are the big fish in their own pond. There is no landlord to control their behaviour or tell them when they have had enough. They feel it is OK to terrorise the elderly or beat up the weak because there is no-one to stand up to them.

These people wouldn't dream of doing these things in a traditonal pub or club environment, because they wouldn't get away with it. It is in this environment that you learn to handle your alcohol consumption because you have to.

I'd wager that most acts of violence and antisocial behaviour stem from the decline in traditional pub drinking.

If it were cheaper for people to drink in pubs and clubs than on street corners, then they would be more inclined to be schooled in the art of how to act responsibly when under the influence. I only hope that a return to the old culture is just around the corner. But as long as it's cheaper to drink on the street than in the pub then I'm afraid it's everyone for themselves.
Che Thornton,
Stratford Avenue,
Sunderland

Nasty and negative
I BELIEVE the vast majority of people when judging their political leaders are not remotely concerned where that person lives, how much money they have got or where they went to school.

The voters of this country did not have the slightest intention of electing as their Prime Minister, William Hague, Iain Duncan Smith or Neil Kinnock, not due to their education or financial background, but because all three were perceived as unsuitable material for the job.

The recent immature, class-based, personalised attacks on Mayor of London Boris Johnson and the victorious Conservative candidate in Crewe and Nantwich Edward Timpson, along with those directed at David Cameron himself, suggests that these issues are still a big hang-up for a number of people within the Labour Party. Yet many of those who shout loudest, ironically, went to private schools themselves and have much more money in their bank accounts than your average citizen.

A shame this because I thought those days of spite were long-gone and I gave Tony Blair a good deal of credit for this. However hypocrisy and double-standards once again prevail in the Labour Party under Gordon Brown, the sure sign they are turning nasty and negative when the going gets tough.
Coun Michael Dixon, (Conservative)
St Chad's Ward

Parker not 'dozy'
IN response to your article Dozy Parkers (June 10), your photograph of the car parked in Sea Road is clearly displaying a disabled blue badge on its dashboard.

To my knowledge the regulations are three hours parking on a single yellow when displaying a disabled blue badge if not causing an obstruction.

As the pavement on this section of Sea Road is nearly as wide as the road itself I would say this car is parked in a manner not to cause an obstruction to fellow drivers or pedestrians.

I do also hope you checked on the circumstances of the driver of this car as it is parked outside a chemist's shop and they could be of an impaired mobility and collecting a much-needed prescription from this chemist.

I think the disabled community have enough struggle and hardship without being publicly branded "dozy" in their local newspaper. I am also ashamed you chose to use this example for your Dozy Parkers logo.
Fellow Blue Badge Holder,
Seaburn Dene

£9billion lost
FURTHER to W Quinn's complaints on the alleged misuse of parliamentary expenses (incidentally, just to be even-handed, why no Labour names, like the Keens?) at least we taxpayers can be assured that the money can be ordered to be repaid.

If only Gordon Brown could be made to pay back the estimated £9billion he lost this country when selling our gold reserves at rock bottom prices, a decision described at the time as "the economics of the madhouse"
J Watson,
Larchwood,
Washington

Neville helps people
I REFER to the article in which Coun Ian Cuthbert claims that Neville Padgett is pretending to be a councillor (Echo, June 10). Neville, who was our candidate in the recent local elections, has been an active Labour Party member for decades.

He is committed to helping local people and works very hard for them all year round. He is well known in the area and people often approach him with their concerns as they know they will receive a prompt, helpful response and Neville will do all he can to assist.

Neville has never claimed to be a councillor, but despite his lack of councillor status seems to be achieving better results than our three Tory councillors put together.

I'd suggest there are more pressing matters for Coun Cuthbert to be dealing with in Washington East rather than wasting his time making spurious allegations.
Bridget Phillipson,
Secretary, Washington East Labour Party