PLEASE keep your letters to 250 words maximum giving your name, address and daytime telephone number - even on emails. Email: letters@swindonadvertiser.co.uk. Write: Swindon Advertiser, Unit 1 and 2 Richmond House, Edison Park, Swindon, SN3 3RB. Phone: 01793 501806.

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

Time to sort flooding

I READ with interest the report on the flooded underpass at Coate Water (SA, October 15).

I bypassed this smelly mess at 9.30am that Monday morning and on returning home about 10.30am rang Thames Water to report it. They did not have any previous reports on the problem, although your photograph was obviously taken much earlier. How many people passed that way before me and ignored the problem, assuming someone else would deal with it?

There are three other long-standing areas of flooding on my routes round East Swindon, all under water that weekend.

The underpass on Drakes Way from Marlowe Avenue, which always looks like a health hazard, the pedestrian crossing on Marlborough Road outside Coate Water and our old favourite, Dorcan Way by the Esso garage.

These last two have been flooding regularly for more than 20 years, every time it rains, and I have never seen any attempt by Swindon Borough Council or Thames Water to resolve the issues.

Surely in this century it is not asking too much that our drains and road gullies are maintained in working order. Or is it not that important in the grand scheme of things!

I am just getting tired of wading through large puddles and avoiding being soaked by passing cars on my regular morning walks.

Derek Lingham, Keyneston Road, Nythe

Echo of moral panics

Space doesn’t permit us to deal with all of Bill Williams’ many fallacies (SA, October 14).

For Bill, the very possibility of people fleeing dangerous conditions around the world is inconceivable.

Despite asylum seeker figures fluctuating in correlation with conflict he still sees victims as if they are some kind of tourist. Asylum seekers are not legally obliged to apply in the first safe country.

In any case many countries passed through are not safe for asylum seekers. Bill is confusing an agreement made by the EU as if it were a requirement placed on asylum seekers. If they manage to survive the journey, they face grinding conditions here.

Bill imagines a pampered existence which he illogically connects with a court case denying certain retirement rights. Bill confirms my point that he only refers to an injustice so he can regurgitate his prejudices about “immigrants” even though immigrants have nothing to do with those problems.

He says: “we didn’t have … problems before unlimited (sic) immigration.”

The moral panic Bill has imbibed from the Tory press is an echo of previous moral panics.

In every period; between the wars, 1940s, 1950s we find panic about street violence, disrespectful youth and lack of discipline. Politicians in all these periods blamed liberals and got excited at the prospect of whipping and thrashing.

Bill’s acceptance of sources which divert attention from real problems speaks volumes.

Peter Smith, Woodside Avenue, Swindon

Invasion must be halted

A HUNDRED thousand Kurds have already had to leave their homes because of the bombing by the Turkish army and air force.

What makes this even more shocking is that it is a NATO country that is the aggressor in this case.

Just when peace in the area seemed possible Turkey has invaded and yet more people are dying in a new Syrian war.

People in Britain who want peace must campaign for the invasion to halt.

Steve Halden, Beaufort Green