Letters - January 25, 2017

This is an accident waiting to happen, anyone with only a small amount of intelligence will see the dangers.

Its only a matter of time before a toddler, child or anyone for that matter who isn’t paying due care and attention, will run across the lines and into the road,

That is of course provided they don’t get hit by a tram or a vehicle first.

I was out walking m labradoodle along the Norbreck to Little Bispham route yesterday evening when all of a sudden my dog bolted, ran across the tram lines and into the road and was almost hit by several vehicles.

She turned and ran back towards me at the very time a tram was passing the crossing access.

As soon as the tram had passed by, my dog ran across the lines and back to me.

Macy had a close escape this time and has never crossed the tracks or done anything like that before but I have always been aware of the dangers and for the life of me can not understand why the gates have not been replaced.

I have lived in this area all my life and know that the original wooden spring gates were there for safety reasons and served the purpose well.

People (including myself) sometimes cross the tracks without thinking.

When there is an obstacle such as a gate or barrier to physically move or open, our attentions are automatically drawn to the dangers, thus preventing potential accidents or near misses.

These gates were installed almost a century ago or possibly longer and its a fact that they saved untold lives.

In this day and age where health and safety is at the forefront of everyday life, in my opinion, the person responsible for removing and not replacing these gates should be held responsible for gross negligence, in the event of loss of life or serious injury.

The modern trams travel a lot faster than the older iron rattlers and you chose to remove all the safety mechanisms along the tracks !!?

Grant Howarth

Via email

POLITICS

Worrying lack of 
transparency

The Trident missile misfire farce continues; following the interview on Sunday with Andrew Marr when the Prime Minister failed five times to answer the questions of what she knew about the catastrophe which happened just before the House of Commons were ready to commit our country to the purchase of the new Trident system.

It is serious for the country on cost alone but faulty missiles are even worse. The farce continued in the House of Commons when Michael Fallon the defence Secretary went on dissembling and refused for “security reasons to confirm details of the test last June. He insisted the HMS Vengeance submarine missile launch on the whole was “successfully certified and tested”.

Even as he spoke, a US defence official was briefing CNN in the US that the Trident missile programme did go wrong! The missile had changed course in an automatic ‘self destruct’ sequence. This news came from MPs who were reading about it on their phones in parliament, while the defence minister refused to comment! This led a Labour MP to state that more has been revealed by the US defence department than to the house of parliament. The US defence source, who CNN claimed had “direct knowledge of the incident”, said the missile, was diverted into the ocean, by an automatic sequence when on-board electronics “detect an anomaly”.

At the heart of the issue is a worrying lack of transparency from a Prime Minister who has chosen to cover up a serious incident rather than being frank with the British public who have paid for it. Now this raises questions; if the missile was faulty are the purchasers able to request compensation and return all missiles purchased as faulty and not therefore fit for purpose. For example their ability to stay on course and blow up the correct target set for it. Have the government purchased a warranty agreement? Alternatively it would be better business practice for the American government to recall all their missiles from any country that they have sold them to.

Roy Lewis

Haddon Road

Bispham

HEALTH

Thank you for your great treatment

I would like to thank the eye department at Blackpool Victoria Hospital for treating an ulcer in my eye from August 8 last year.

I would like to thank Dr Imran Rahman and his staff for their courtesy during my appointments, also his secretary who kindly explained things to me, and the theatre staff for operating on my eye.

I was seen every week from August last year, which I think is very good considering the funding restrictions the health service is under. The treatment was excellent.

John Neil Trickett

Near Stanley Park

Blackpool

TRUMP

Is there a worse time to leave EU?

Donald Trump is now ruling the world from Washington DC. His frightening declaration that America will dissociate from all other countries, and will only protect the futures of its own citizens, should be a cause of concern for the rest of the world. Could there be a worse time for the UK to leave the EU?

Tom Howley

Via email