Lovely wall art spoiled

So sad that this lovely portrait of Sir Patrick Moore has been made a target for spray paint and spoiled.

I just hope it can be restored and protected somehow from any future attacks.

David Norris-Kay

Norwood Road, S5

Sheffield near village status

The recently released report by the National Audit Office into the decisions to cancel the planned electrification of the railway between London and Sheffield demonstrates some catastrophic errors of judgement, misinformation, speculation and downright lies on the part of Government departments and related agencies.

Having agreed to the plan, which would have acted as a major engine of growth for the East Midlands, South Yorkshire and the West Riding by developing a fast, clean and reliable rail service, this was swept away on the back of concerns over project cost escalation which rest at the feet of the sponsoring Government department.

It now looks like a case of jam tomorrow, this year, next year, sometime, never, for modern electric train services to/from Sheffield for passengers and freight. Waiting for HS2 is not a tenable option for the East Midland cities and Sheffield.

The NAO report should have provoked a response from the city authorities now denied this option. It does not appear to have done so.

The economic future of the city regions is being manipulated (badly) by metropolitan civil servants. The decision to cancel the electrification schemes clearly demonstrates a lack of any long term vision for the region and will act as a brake on its longer term prosperity.

The decision to cancel should be overturned as a matter of urgency. Without this vital infrastructure Sheffield will be condemned (as in the case of a lack of an airport) to near village status.

Philip N Mortimer

by email

Shaking off the shackles

How strange it is that the Remainers are clamouring for a second referendum, because they say the public were misled by the Leave campaign, but I don’t remember us being allowed a second referendum when we found out we had all been lied to when we were told that joining the Common Market (now EU) was just for trading purposes only.

Had we been told the truth, that it would affect our sovereignty and we would lose the right to decide our laws in our own Parliament, the outcome in the 1975 Referendum would have been vastly different and the vote would certainly not have been 60 per cent in favour of remaining.

What a sad bunch of people the doom and gloom Remainers are, as they lack pride in our country and confidence in the ability of Great Britain to stand on its own two feet.

We should all be celebrating the fact that we are finally shaking off the shackles of Brussels and will be able to once again govern ourselves, not be dictated to by people who do not have our interests at heart.

New and exciting opportunities lie ahead for our country, so let’s fly our flag with pride and rejoice!

Susan Richardson

Westminster Crescent, Lodge Moor, Sheffield, S10

Cremation to rest in peace

Sadly the days are past when you could meander in a cemetery to either visit your loved ones, or pass the time admiring the splendid grave stones and dwelling on times long gone.

Now it makes you wary of visiting at any time day or night.

Maybe one solution would be for folk to put cremation as their preferred destination - not everyone’s choice, but in the present climate it could be the only choice for your ashes to be with your family and therefore rest in peace.

EB Warris

by email

Public apology?

On browsing the internet today, I inadvertently came across an article in the Yorkshire Post (14.5.17) by John Sentamu (Archbishop of York) in which he sings the praises of Acts 435, a charity he set up in 2010, for the needy.

On reading further into the article, however, I discovered comments made by a Citizen’s Advice Bureau team were far from charitable towards the people of Parson Cross.

Indeed, I challenge their claim that ‘without Acts 435 no-one in Parson Cross would go debt free’. Furthermore, I wonder how many people here even know of its existence!

Such random comments may serve to bolster the credibility of this charitable venture, but it is a far from Christian act to casually stigmatise a whole neighbourhood in such an unjust way.

I know charities, as recipients of public money, have to justify their existence, but truth should not be a casualty of the process.

Therefore, maybe the spokesperson for the CAB might present the evidence proving the aforementioned statement to be true.

In its absence surely such unwarranted mass public humiliation should be matched by an equally public apology to the thousands of people forced to live under the dark shadow unfairly cast over them!

Mary Steele

Deerlands Ave., Parson Cross, Sheffield, S5

Missing children

You have to feel so sorry for Kerry Needham. All these years, yet no closure for her.

Yet again Madeline McCann’s parents get more money for the search to find her 11 years on.

Now, if my son was missing, I wouldn’t want to give up looking either, what parent would? I just question why all this money can be found for the McCanns, yet other children go missing, but not much money or police time go into finding them.

All parents with missing kids should be treated equally, not just the ones who are middle class doctors.

Jayne Grayson

by email