Tree decorated with dog poo bags

Meandering my way up Fell Lane on my Sunday morning constitutional, daintily side-stepping the several piles of dog poo along the way, I arrived at the top. Stopping to gain my breath, I then carried on some 50 yards to admire a hawthorn tree covered with an abundance of red berries. Looking over the wall I saw the lower branches decoratively adorned, just like a Christmas tree, with little plastic bags in green, white and black and at the base of the tree several more of these bags, all filled with what? Yes, you’ve guessed, dog poo, all ready to be picked up on Christmas morning by the offspring of the people who placed them there!

Walking further along the road, I came upon another two hawthorn trees and lo and behold hanging from the lower branches were a number of these little plastic bags. I thought this must be a new trend to brighten up our hawthorn trees for Christmas by dog owners too idle to take their plastic bags home and dump them where they belong.

I wonder which is the lesser of two evils, letting their dogs poo on the pavement or hanging the poo out on trees. Won’t these people ever learn. I doubt it.

Even after my dainty side-stepping along the pavement, on arriving home, I still found stinking dog poo on the sole of my shoe.

Les Drake

Fell Lane area, Keighley

Town council’s campaign for free parking for disabled

Last week you asked if anyone had more information about the Excel Car Park, Cavendish Street, Keighley. As a town councillor I have been contacted by several disabled people who have been fined for not paying at this car park.

As a result Keighley Town Council has asked Excel to put up notices in front of each disabled person’s parking bay to warn that disabled people have to pay. The crux of the problem is that the law is misleading and, frankly, unhelpful. As the law stands all car parks have by law to provide Blue Badge parking spaces but these do not have to be free of charge. Keighley Town Council is contacting Kris Hopkins MP to ask him to campaign for private car parks to be brought into line with council car parks so that they are no longer allowed to charge Blue Badge holders. I personally have also been in touch with David Ward, MP for Bradford East, about this too because one of the people who asked me for help lives in his constituency.

With the present situation I have to question whether a Blue Badge driver who has to transfer to a wheelchair could actually reach the pay boxes at the car park. I also believe that the size of lettering on the Excel noticeboard is too small to be read from inside a vehicle, presupposing that all drivers will get out of their cars to read the notice. Where drivers have the difficult task of transferring to a wheelchair, then back to the car, then to the wheelchair again, just to read the notice, this is surely an infringement of their lawful right to equal access.

Judith Brooksbank

Councillor, Long Lee and Parkwood

Mum tells of bad parking experience

I have also had a bad experience with Excel parking. Last year I parked with my two disabled boys, in a disabled bay and purchased a ticket.

Unfortunately, I had not lifted their disabled badge from the car seat though it was clearly visible.

The warden watched me struggle to get my son, who has quadriplegic cerebral palsy out of the car, and then get my other son, who is blind and has behavioural problems.

Within one minute he had given me a ticket for not displaying my badge correctly. I admit this was wrong but he could have shouted to let me know I hadn’t put it in the right place. I was fined £40 pounds. I appealed, sending copies of both boys’ blue badges and copies of both the time on the ticket I purchased and the time I was given a ticket — but all I received was a curt reply telling me I would have to pay extra if I didn’t pay up now.

I asked parking attendants in Asda and Sainsbury’s what they would have done. They said that if they had seen me and the boys leave the car they would have left a reminder note on the car and not fined me.

LUCIE RIDEHALGH

Long Lee, Keighley

Rail links to capital are sufficient

With reference to recent comments in the KN regarding rail links from the Aire Valley to London, I would suggest that our links to the capital are more than sufficient.

With trains on the half hour to Leeds and just a quick platform change, any money spent on upgrading the electrification for this purpose could be better spent elsewhere.

Again I must mention the missing 11 miles of track between Skipton and Colne.

With the amount of new housing in the valley still to come, the heavily congested road system, plus all the other obvious good reasons, this should be the priority.

It might be that if the line was reinstated, the whole section from Skipton to Preston would need a massive upgrade, as I believe that the “powers that be” already realise, as demand would be very heavy indeed.

Fast trains between Bradford Forster Square to Manchester Airport could be a reality in the future, serving the major towns en route. After all, vast amounts of money have been spent in the London area. Is it too much to ask of our MPs to secure money for this long overdue improvement to our rail network.

Ron Beale

Ridgemount Road, Riddlesden

Delighted to see Duke's picture

I am the granddaughter of Bill Lord who is mentioned in the “Dukes” line up in the “Lest we forget tribute page”.

I was delighted to read this and see the picture, as to date I didn't know which section of the army he was in.

I have researched my family history, discovering a scandal and family secret along the way, however, thanks to Alan Cooper I can now go further with my grandfather.

I know he had medals but I don't know which he received and there is also no trace of them to my knowledge.

I will go to Keighley Library to see the proper photo and also cut out the one in the paper, as it has really made my day.

Laura Darnbrough

Oakbank Lane, Oakworth