Clean up our society

It is often said that appearance is everything. Anyone visiting a town or city anywhere in the world cannot fail to have their opinions formed by the amount of graffiti that seems to spring up overnight, therefore influencing how we view and remember a place.

If you go to Madrid, Berlin or London, it seems graffiti greets the tourist wherever you go; sometimes causing one to wonder how the so-called graffiti “artist” reached the most unlikeliest of places.

You won’t see it in Westminster, of course, because the authorities like to keep these areas graffiti-free, giving the tourist the impression that social vandalism doesn’t exist.

But it’s not the same with towns. Anyone visiting Swindon can’t help but wonder why so much graffiti exists, and why local authorities allow it to multiply without removing it immediately.

This council gets many things wrong, but after seeing an outburst of graffiti in my area proliferate within the past few weeks, it has to be given credit for the prompt removal of said graffiti; an eyesore that stretched into Old Town.

The police also have to be given credit for the steps they have taken to try and alleviate the problem – possibly two rival gangs tagging the area to warn off their competition when it comes to leaving their mark on a neighbourhood that doesn’t want them or their ridiculous anti-social traits.

The council offers a free cleaning service to anyone who wants to be graffiti-free; all it needs is concerned citizens to report the matter, either by phone or on the SBC website.

Disappointedly, there are some people (in various areas of Swindon) who refuse to sign the disclaimer that the council requires to carry out any remedial work on their property. They evidently outright refuse to allow the offending graffiti to be removed.

I wonder if they will feel the same when they come to sell their property – a certain turn-off for any prospective purchaser. Some people say “oh, what’s the point, they’ll only do it again”, but if it’s reported and dealt with, the problem will eventually go away because the offenders will be discouraged and will move on. The graffiti-cleaning service offered by SBC is a free service.

The plethora of BT junction boxes are also easy targets. BT shares these boxes with Sky, and jointly bears responsibility for their upkeep. But try to get them to clean any graffiti off and they will resist and prevaricate until the cows come home. Royal Mail is also guilty of this. Just take a stroll down Victoria Road sometime and see the array of “work” there.

So what’s the answer? Do we make excuses for these perpetrators who paint other peoples’ property by accepting that they suffer from schizophrenia, or believe that the yobbos who slash car tyres and get away with it are downtrodden victims of society? If anti-social behaviour is accepted without any desire to create a better environment, then people will get the society they deserve.

John Beale, Wigmore Avenue, Swindon.

 

Caring for our cats

We have received a letter from Cats Protection saying more than half of cats in their care are black or black and white, as people prefer other ones.

We have a black and white cat and many thanks to the staff at Carina Palmer’s veterinary practice at Eastcot, near Easterton, near Devizes for giving her such loving care when we take her there.

Mr & Mrs L Smith, The Croft, Urchfont

 

Take back allowances

It’s very clear to most of us the anger is still growing across Wiltshire, as more and more residents are signing Paul Gaunt’s petition condemning Coun Jane Scott and her Cabinet for voting for increases in allowances for themselves of up to 37 per cent.

With this in mind I had no hesitation in putting my name with other independent members, Couns Jeff and Helen Osborn, Ernie Clark and Chris Caswill to call a special council meeting to rescind this decision made by the Conservatives at the last full council meeting.

It’s very clear to most of us that cracks are starting to appear in the ruling Conservative group as some are admitting in private that they misjudged the mood of the public.

It’s very clear that if we are to get this decision rescinded we must ensure that we keep up the pressure, not only on the Conservatives, but all members of the council to ensure they support this move.

I would urge everyone to take a few minutes to contact their Wiltshire councillor and local MP and urge them to support the decision to rescind this increase in allowances.

Coun Terry Chivers, Independent, Melksham Without

 

North Stay calm on cancer

I am sure readers will have been alarmed by recent reports in the national media about GPs and the apparent failure to refer patients with suspected cancer.

In 2010, more than 300,000 people in the UK were diagnosed with cancer, the commonest types being breast, lung, bowel and prostate cancer. About one in three people will be diagnosed with cancer at some time during their lifetime. This needs to be seen in the context of more than 300 million patient consultations with GPs every year.

More than 50 per cent of patients diagnosed with cancer will survive more than five years.

These survival rates have improved significantly in most types of cancers over the past ten years.

A contributory factor to this was the introduction of ‘fast track’ referrals, which means that if a GP suspects a patient has cancer and refers them via this route, patients will usually be seen in the hospital within two weeks. Nine out of ten patients who are referred via ‘fast track’ turn out not to have cancer.

Cancer can present in many different ways and frequently patients have vague symptoms such as tiredness, a cough, feeling unwell or even bloating, which makes the diagnosis of cancer complex.

The national media has assumed the variability in referral rates directly reflects the competence of the GPs. The truth is more complex than this and will depend on many factors including age, sex, type of cancer and how late the patient sees the GP.

If a practice has significantly different referral patterns from other local practices then they need to reflect on these and see if there are any reasonable explanations.

Your readers can do a number of things to reduce their risks as far as cancer is concerned.

If you have symptoms that you believe might mean you have cancer, discuss this with your GP.

National screening programmes aim to detect cancer at an early stage and these include cervical, breast and bowel cancer. I would encourage your readers to participate, if invited, in any of these screening programmes.

General practice in the UK has been shown repeatedly by international researchers to be of high quality and among the best in the world. This has been confirmed in several recent comparative studies with other countries.

Dr Nigel Watson MBBS FRCGP, General Practitioner, Chief executive, Wessex Local Medical Committees Ltd, Chandler’s Ford, Eastleigh

 

Corruption of leaders

To respond to H Martin, so you think the ANC rule, since the early 90s in South Africa, has worked wonders do you? Let us know how many black people have died at the hands of these people, while enforcing ‘law’.

The current leader of the ANC is soon to be tried on corruption charges, as it is alleged he used government money to build himself a mansion, and this while his people live in tin shacks or the likes.

Do you think the people of the CAR or Sudan, or Nigeria, or other troubled African states, enjoy the state rule they have, which is all about power and nothing else? Nigeria people also strive to live a normal life, while they send satellites around the world.

The hanged leader of Iraq did many things that were not acceptable, or fair to his people, but at least he had a stable country.

T Reynolds, Wheeler Avenue, Swindon

 

Immigration worries

Immigration is much in the news now that we have opened our borders to Romania and Bulgaria.

The majority of the people in Britain want immigration controlled but there is only one party that believes in controlled immigration.

The three major parties all support uncontrolled EU immigration into Britain.

There is only one party that wants to control EU immigration into Britain.

Whatever your views on the EU you must agree it is essential for the voters to have an alternative to the three major parties on this very important issue.

Steve Halden, Beaufort Green, Swindon

 

Thanks to taxi driver

Could we, Mark and Martin, on behalf of our father Roy, say a big thank you to the driver from V Cars taxis who took him to the Carfax walk-in clinic on December 30?

He couldn’t do enough to help our father, both picking him up and dropping him off in the taxi. He also made sure our father went to the correct place in the centre.

Many thanks again – you are a real credit, not only to your company but also to all taxi drivers.

Mark and Martin Webb, Swindon Road, Old Town, Swindon

 

Jobs sent to India

Nationwide is to move 100 jobs from Swindon to India in February 2014.

The reason for the move is that wages are cheaper in India.

By outsourcing these 100 jobs to India it means that Nationwide can get round the minimum wage laws here in Britain.

This move is not patriotic and will be very hard on the young people of Swindon who are desperate to find any sort of work at all.

Terry Hayward, Burnham Road, Swindon