POLICE FACTS: DAVID T Colling, of Bishop Auckland (HAS, Apr 15), needs a bit of a reality check himself. As a serving officer with a North-East force, let me respond to his claims.

Pampered by politicos? Oh yes, that'll be all the extra paperwork we now have to do.

The police have, over the past five years, only ever received pay rises in line with the rate of inflation. Officers pay 11 per cent into their pension fund (double the UK average). What percentage of your salary do you pay Mr Colling? (In cash terms, I pay £265 per month).

Health scheme? We get the NHS like everyone else, otherwise we can pay for a private one.

The only daily scenes of police on TV are usually after a serious/major incident, when lots of officers are justified. As for minor incidents receiving media attention, I've never had a reporter follow me when I'm being spat on and sworn at by a drunken idiot at 3.30 in the morning.

When away from work officers are like everyone else - entitled to take a second job to provide extra funds to make ends meet, or just to get those few extra nice things in life.

Also, all second jobs must be approved by the chief constable so that our integrity is not compromised, and that it does not affect our ability to perform our duties.

If Mr Colling wants value for his taxes and criminals caught, why does he not apply online at www.policecouldyou.co.uk (I would volunteer to be his tutor constable). - Name and address supplied.

SILENT OVER CUTS

I AM astonished at Councillor Fraser Reynolds' remarks about the City News looking forward, not back (HAS, Apr 15). Having read the last two issues it is obvious this glossy magazine is nothing more than Liberal Democrat propaganda.

If it is to genuinely inform residents, why no mention of the cuts in services the Liberal Democrats have made since taking control in 2003.

No mention of council house tenants having to carry out their own repairs and rents still being increased this year.

No mention of the cuts in the visits to elderly and vulnerable people by City Care staff.

No mention of the sale of valuable land in the villages to pay for the swimming pool in Durham City, nor that once it is complete the public will only have limited access to it.

No mention that the Gala Theatre is still almost £750,000 in debt.

No mention of the court case over the colour of taxis in Durham that anyone with an ounce of common sense knew the council would lose, costs for which will have to be borne by council tax payers.

And let's not forget Coun Reynolds, that you and every other Liberal Democrat in Durham said that if you were elected in 2003 you would refund £100 off every council tax bill. We are still waiting. - Monica Cummings, Esh Winning.

IRAQ WAR

RE Christopher Wardell's letter (HAS, Apr 10). I can only assume that he finds nothing wrong with Iraqi parents seeing their children blown to pieces or burnt alive by US bombs - that is if the parents are still alive to witness such an atrocity.

I am glad my letters show people like him in their true colours. He trots out the same old excuse of ridding Iraq of Saddam, but the real reason for the invasion was the insatiable demand for oil of the US.

I assume Mr Wardell detested Hitler and Stalin, to name but two who murdered many innocent people. Why then does he take the opposite view to the US atrocities in Iraq? Consistency is not one of his strong points, is it?

I assure you I have a high regard for the US, having lived there for five years, but I detest Mr Bush and his gang who, thankfully, will be gone in a couple of years. You will also be interested to know that Mr Bush has now the lowest rating of any President.

If ever an administration has brought Christianity into disrepute it is the present one in the US. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

PLANTING IDEAS

A COMMENT from Jeremy Musson, the quirky presenter of BBC2's The Curious Houseguest (BBC2, Apr 13) caught my interest. He noted that Surrey is the most heavily wooded county in the kingdom. Shots of ancient woodlands full of English natives then followed.

It was thus with enormous pleasure that I learnt of the woodland plantings that have just been started by inmates and staff at Kirklevington Grange Prison where 3.5 acres are to be planted with 2,500 trees.

On receipt of a grant from the Forestry Commission they plan to plant English natives, including oak, ash, silver birch and rowan. Woodland shrubs, including hazel, hawthorn, blackthorn and holly, will complete the planting.

This is an initiative that needs replicating in all suburbs of our region. Coming from Ingleby Barwick I will, of course, say that such planting is infinitely preferable to the proposed developments of the Eco-Park by Nunthorpe Nurseries and Mr Twister by Scott Brothers on the estate.

But let's also see such planting in Berwick Hills, Eastbourne, Thornaby, Redcar, Saltburn, Guisborough, etc. We owe it to future generations. - Jennifer Lee, Ingleby Barwick.

KVAERNER PENSION FUND

THERE has been considerable media speculation in recent months about the long-term survival of company pension schemes.

Many of your readers will have worked for Cleveland Bridge, Davy, Redpath and other companies whose pensions are paid by the Kvaerner Pension Fund and who have recently been notified of concerns regarding the long-term continuation of the fund.

Any pensioner/deferred pensioner who is worried about their pension and who would like more information can view recent Newsletters issued by the Kvaerner Pension Fund Association (a group aiming to protect the interests of former workers) by accessing www.kpfa.co.uk.

To date, there are more 1,750 members of the association and new members are most welcome. For free registration, follow the instructions on the website. - V E Calvert, Fairfield, Stockton.

FARE QUESTION

WHILE travelling with SN Brussels Airlines from Newcastle to Brussels on Monday, April 3, we were intrigued to see that the only occupant in the curtained-off, club class section was Wear Valley Councillor Olive Brown.

As the plane was only two-thirds full in the economy class and there were 25 seats (24 of them empty) in the club class, we wondered if there was a lack of thought as to the use of council tax payers' money, or was the trip otherwise subsidised by the EU? - Barbara Hardy, Spennymoor.

SPRING POSERS

I HAVE never known the May blossom come out as late as it did last year. This year, the snowdrops and daffodils have been as late flowering as I can remember. It is now the middle of April and the grass has hardly started to grow. Is this proof that we now have global cooling? - Stephen Feaster, Cropton, Pickering, North Yorkshire.

SPRING arrives again... so does anyone know why the colour of the first flowers - daffodils, primroses and most crocus - are, in the main, always yellow? - E Reynolds, Wheatley Hill, Co Durham.