Readers' letters - July 26

For over two years, Saudi Arabia has bombarded the people of Yemen.

The Saudi bombs have fallen on schools, hospitals, even a family funeral, and vast residential areas have been treated as military targets.

Over 10,000 civilians have died and the livelihoods of millions thrown into crisis.

Bombs dropped on Yemen are made in the UK.

A huge range of voices have called to end the sales, including a vote in the European Parliament.

The Government was taken to court by people who argued arms sales were illegal and immoral, but weeks ago the court ruled in the Government’s favour – a great disappointment.

Over 10,000 killed since 2015 when the Saudis began their brutal bombing campaign, using British warplanes, British bombs, British training, British military advice and British diplomatic cover.

The whole population is at risk of starving and water facilities have been targeted, leading to cholera.

The court judgement says some crucial points of the UK selling arms to all and sundry.

As shown in sickening detail by historian Mark Curtis, British foreign policy has been and remains a malign influence in the world, stirring up conflict and great bloodshed for cynical aims.

Only a radical transformation can end and begin to repair the damage caused by our rules.

Things must change, and we must stop selling arms to blatantly murderous regimes.

We must all be involved working to achieve real peace throughout the world.

Royston Jones

Address supplied

environment

City full of litter and weeds

Re: Time to weed out these city problems (LP July

21).

Regarding the travesty that is how Preston looks.

If you cross the border into South Ribble or across to the Fylde, there are flower beds, clean roads etc and a genuine passion about the area.

I am horrified to drive through Preston – trees gone, litter, weeds, no planting.

It’s awful.

The council should be accountable and do something.

Preston has so much to offer.

The route down New Hall Lane has improved things but the city centre is disgusting

For instance, there are empty flower pots stuck to rusty railings.

I would really like to take action, maybe with a petition.

How can we highlight this to the council?

Lynn

via email

environment

How shabby Preston looks

I have noticed how shabby Preston is looking.

Who is responsible for the grass and weeding?

Coming up London Road, there are thick weeds, including ragwort which is toxic to animals.

It looks terrible!

Come on Preston Council, surely you can afford someone to mow.

name and address supplied

MILITARY

Not enough boats in film

I saw Dunkirk, on its first showing and was not disappointed.

You see so many films about the wars showing the Americans as the great heroes but this depicts how brave the ordinary English men were, risking their lives in their various boats to rescue our soldiers from the beach.

Superb and very moving.

The only fault I could find was it showed about 20 boats instead of hundreds travelling towards France which was rather underwhelming.

Maybe it’s just me, but, although I shed a patriotic tear, the thought was there were not enough boats.

Janet Berry

via email

charity

Thank you for generosity

Macmillan Ribble Valley, like many charities, is endlessly fundraising.

Sainsbury’s in Longridge offered us two days to collect in store.

The welcome and kindness of all the staff was greatly appreciated by all the collectors.

The people of Longridge made it worth all the effort by cheerfully donating £1,080.

To everyone who collected, gave money and encouraged us with kind words, please remember your help will ease someone’s suffering and anxiety.

It will not only benefit

the patient, but the whole family.

Please keep being so kind and generous, it is much appreciated.

On behalf of all the families who need your support – thank you a million times.

Stella Holt

Macmillan volunteer for the Ribble Valley

bbc

Simple way to solve problem

These 42-odd BBC women broadcasters are paid an obscene amount (the lowest being £150,000, or put another way, just over 1,000 licence fees) for looking pretty and reading from auto-cues.

They say it is on behalf of the fight for women’s equality.

However, some, myself included, believe that it is for sheer greed.

The BBC has promised pay equality by 2020 but I can proffer a solution which could be applied from next month’s salary cheque run.

Instead of paying Chris Evans £2.2m and Laura Kuenssberg £250k, the BBC should total all the broadcasters’ salaries and divide them by the number of broadcasters.

Et voila – all on equal salaries so no quarrel with the feminists and no additional cost to the taxpayer – job done.

R

Address supplied

bbc

TV repeats

and salaries

As the BBC airs so many repeats, perhaps they could save money by showing its actors and presenters a photocopy of their previous year’s salaries.

Keith Wigglesworth

via email

weddings

Wife was my Best Woman

Re: Neil Inkley’s observation that “One never hears of best women at weddings” (LP, July 22). He is not quite correct. Forty eight years at our wedding I had a Best Man and a Best Woman. One was my brother, and the other my wife.

Mike Picewicz, Blackpool