Letters - May 5, 2016

Dozens of handmade bird boxes have been attached to trees in Layton Cemetery to attract winged residents to nest there.

The 72 wooden bird boxes have been made by adults with learning disabilities, who built them as part of their woodwork classes at the Blackpool Centre for Independent Living on Whitegate Drive.

Well done lads!

The residents of Blackpool thank you and your tutors for your time and generosity.

Could I also thank the community volunteers, along with the low level offenders from the community payback scheme, and the council officers, for their work in keeping the cemetery clean and tidy.

My mum and dad would also like to thank you.

They have been resident in Layton Cemetery for 62 years and 35 years respectively.

Thank you all.

Mike Picewicz,

Warbreck Hill Road,

Blackpool

POLITICS

Keep out of other countries’ affairs

I read about Cat Smith, MP for Lancaster and Fleetwood, calling on the government to take action over changes to the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in North Carolina and Mississippi (Gazette, May 3).

I strongly resented Obama’s recent interference in the UK’s EU referendum and would fully support any American objecting to this interference in their politics by a British MP. I would have thought Lancaster and Fleetwood had enough problems of its own to keep Ms Smith occupied full-time.

I have no strong feelings about what people of either gender do for entertainment (providing it is legal and consensual) and it is fine for people to express their opinions in a democracy. However, actively interfering in the politics and practices of other democratic nations should be avoided – it is up to the electorates in other countries to elect representatives that reflect their views.

The world might be a better place in which to live if the citizens of one nation avoided telling the citizens of others how they should live. If Ms Smith is really that concerned about the rights of LGBT people, perhaps she should start by looking at Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Sudan, India and Pakistan (to name just a few) rather than the USA which, last time I checked, was a democracy.

I would add that many of the countries where LGBT people have few rights (and may even be sentenced to death) are countries that benefit from our £12bn foreign aid budget.

Name and address supplied

TOURISM

Car park attendant’s behaviour ‘shameful’

I have just returned from a visit to St Annes and was delighted and thinking about booking a holiday. The town is lovely with very friendly people... except the appalling behaviour I witnessed at St Annes Pier.

I parked and paid to park at the pier. On my return I sat in my car watching the car park attendant, whose behaviour can only be described as sneaky and appalling.

I sat and watched four cars arrive within the space of only five minutes. Three of the car owners went to the badly signed car parking payment machine to check the prices. They all then went to get change to pay for their parking. None of them were gone more than two or three minutes. The car parking attendant was sneakily watching their movements from behind other cars.

The moments their backs were turned he pounced and all were ticketed, none of them longer than three minutes after parking! The fourth lady who parked her car took literally 20 steps to look at the statue of Les Dawson and while her back was turned the parking attendant pounced, ticketed her car and ran back laughing. He obviously finds it funny!

His behaviour was appalling. Is this really the way visitors should be treated? Sneaky, way over the top and quite simply disgraceful. Remember these visitors were there to visit the town and spend money, thereby supporting businesses!

I have read TripAdvisor reviews about the pier, only to find countless other similar experiences! It has obviously been going on for some time.

The pier needs to review this matter urgently. How about new decent signage and a modern machine that takes cards, cash, phone app or online payments?

Do you think the visitors to St Annes will come back? I doubt it.

I thought St Annes had more about it than this. Obviously not. Shame.

The Revd M Ineson

Dewsbury

EUROPE

We must vote no to 
a European Army

Plans for a European Army are marching ahead – just as we have long predicted and despite denials by mainstream British politicians.

Former EU Commission President Romano Prodi has already admitted it is in the pipeline, and now we learn that Germany is pushing for such an army to encompass all 28 member states with a joint headquarters and shared military planning.

Apparently, Germany had wanted to keep the proposals secret until after the EU referendum, well they would wouldn’t they?

Germany is desperate to keep the UK in the grasp of the European Union as they know that if we leave other member states may well follow.

Those in this country in the Remain camp deny losing our sovereignty, but giving up the right to defend ourselves is just a further erosion of that.

Anyone who truly cares for this country must stand up and be counted by voting for Brexit next month.

Paul Nuttall

North West UKIP MEP and deputy party leader