Readers' letters - December 4

This photograph shows the footpath on the south side of the River Ribble, between 
the Old Tram Bridge and where the River Darwen joins the Ribble just downstream.

The picture shows a very temporary repair with the red fencing where the floods of last winter (Boxing Day), washed part of the river banking away.

Almost 12 months on and a permanent repair has not been carried out like the one with wooden fencing, which can be seen in the background of the photograph. Although the path is a lot narrower, it is at least safe.

The photograph also shows that the red temporary fence is beginning to fall in the river as well.

Is it not time that whatever local authority is responsible for the maintenance of this path performs the necessary repairs before someone falls in the river?

The last time I walked along this path, last Tuesday, I met several different groups walking in the opposite direction to me, as well as people following behind me, which indicates how well the path is used.

The people that use this path are joggers, walkers, bird watchers, commuters and cyclists, although I think cyclists should use the path on the north side of the river because it is part of the Guild Wheel.

I do emphasise that this is a very well used public footpath and, perhaps by highlighting this in your newspaper, things might get done before there are any more floods that may wash the whole path away or, worse, someone might fall in the river.

Norman Jackson

Walton-Le-Dale

society

Hatred is contemptible

Recent media stories point to a campaign of hate against Polish people, apparently in response to the Leave Europe situation.

This type of ill-informed and mindless behaviour illustrates all that is bad in any civilised society.

To aim hatred at a nation which did so much and so selflessly to help secure freedom from tyranny in the Second World War, deserves contempt. Those responsible would do well to wipe away their misinformed madness and read a little about recent history, from which they might learn and rethink their attitudes.

Many young Polish people joined the allies in the Second World War, and were among the fiercest defenders of our freedom and democracy. They were subsequently treated rather poorly by us when the war ended.

Similar attitudes prevailed in the 1950s and 1960s with the influx of migrants from, for example, India and the West Indies, citizens from which also played a significant part in securing the freedoms we now enjoy.

Dr Michael Lowry

Address supplied

politics

Blair back in the frame

The Blair person has reappeared! He admits he didn’t hold a referendum on Europe because he thought he would lose

He doesn’t want to go back into politics because of the hostility towards him.

It seems he isn’t playing unless he’s winning.

His latest offering, to form a party – partly funded by the millions this ‘socialist’ has made since leaving office – to keep us in the European Union borders on treason.

The upside is the clowns he seems to have picked as running mates, Clegg and Milliband .

They have never won a thing in their careers.

Oh, I forget myself , Milliband knifed his brother in the back to ‘win’ the Labour leadership and Clegg won the leadership of the Lib Dems and we all know where that led. They deserve each other but what have we done to deserve those three on the scene again?

Chris Sharp

via email

retail

No gains on Black Friday

I was interested to listen to a chief executive officer bemoaning Black Friday.

He said it’s no gain for staff as they get no extra pay for the increased workload, neither the staff in stores nor in warehouses, and delivery staff get no extra either.

Discounts are a sham as many items aren’t actually worth the discount percentage anyway in real terms.

Nobody really benefits. It’s all media manipulation on social websites and store websites.

R Kimble

Address supplied

energy

These bills cause misery

When the crazy Conservatives closed all the coal mines and started to purchase cheap foreign coal, we were expecting cheaper energy bills.

Then they privatised the energy companies with the result that they became an energy market where users had to shop around on their laptops to get the cheapest price.

This crazy system allows millionaires in their mansions to pay less for their energy than a pensioner in a one bed-room flat. (Most pensioners have not got access to a computer).

The energy bills are now twice as much as any other European Union country.

It has got so bad that many pensioners cannot afford to put their heating on and frequent libraries, sit in bus stations and travel around on buses just to keep warm. It will get worse as a depression begins to bite and more jobs are lost.

Colin Proctor

via email

conflict

Suspend Arms deals

The UK Government has decided to reject calls to suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia, despite the fact that air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen have destroyed food supplies, schools, hospitals and homes.

The conflict has lead to thousands killed, over 3m fleeing their homes and more than half of the entire Yemeni population is facing starvation.

Export licenses to Saudi Arabia for more than £3bn worth of arms were granted between March 2015 and March 2016 alone.

The Saudi-led coalition has been accused of violating international humanitarian law, and the UK Government is obligated under both UK and EU law to suspend arms sales to countries accused of such violations.

Despite this, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson’s defence of this action is essentially that Saudi Arabia will acquire weaponry in any case and hence it should be the UK that is profiting. This defence is morally reprehensible and may indeed be illegal. It is critical that the UK Government immediately reconsider its position and suspend the sale of British arms exports to the Saudi Arabian-led coalition.

Angus Calder

Address supplied