Anonymity is granted only at the discretion of the editor, who also reserves the right to edit letters.

Austerity is to blame

In response to Robert Buckland MP’s column of April 11th, he says he welcomes the £11 million that is being put into the early intervention scheme that helps young people and adults to live positive lives away from crime.

In saying so, does Mr Buckland recognise at last the austerity he has supported 100 per cent has, along with other factors, played a part in the horrific spate of killings in the capital?

I have to ask the question has Mr Buckland asked for money to be put into this scheme before? If so, what was the response from Home Secretary Amber Rudd? Or has he, as I suspect, gone with the Tory government line that austerity is needed? I ask Mr. Buckland, are you proud of your support for austerity and the misery it has brought to society?

Mark Webb, Old Town, Swindon

Sort out this problem

Those arriving in the UK between 1948 and 1971 from Caribbean countries have been labelled the Windrush generation.

The economy in Britain was booming in the 50s and 60s and workers from the Caribbean were encouraged to come to Britain by governments of both the major parties. This was a period of full employment in Britain. The Windrush generation came to fill job vacancies in Britain as there was a severe shortage of labourers and wages were very high in those days.

The problem now is that the children that came during that time were not given the correct entry papers.

The government has long since destroyed all records of who came over with the Windrush generation. The Windrush generation are here legally and this problem needs to be sorted out quickly.

Steve Halden, Beaufort Green, Swindon

Good people out there

Sometimes when your mood is low, something happens to restore your faith in the innate goodness of people.

On Saturday I cycled right across Swindon to meet a friend. When I arrived, I noticed that the pocket containing my wallet was empty… credit cards, driving licence, treasured kids photographs, loads of ID cards and the other normal stuff.

On Sunday I had given up hope of ever seeing it again, and had assumed that a trip to Gablecross police station, which seems to be the only way now to hand in lost property, would be beyond even the most generous Samaritans.

Imagine my surprise and delight when looking at the day’s post, in amongst it was my wallet. Someone had taken the trouble to travel across Swindon to my house and, completely anonymously, return it.

Clearly my most heartfelt thanks to that individual, I only wish they’d left a note so I could have thanked them in person. But more importantly doesn’t it make you feel optimistic in all this gloom, that people with this degree of simple consideration for others, walk this earth?

Paul Engley, Shrivenham Road, Swindon