Offences must come with price

Though this is a slight improvement on the situation that existed a year ago, when the figure stood at 7,516,682, it is still an indictment on the inefficiency of our courts which really must examine whether it is allowing the wrong signals to be broadcast to criminals.

The national situation, with 486 million owed in unpaid fines, has already been condemned as ‘ridiculous’ by a group of MPs who called for a range of reforms. Their advice should be taken to heart - not only because the money could be put to good use but also because criminals must be taught that their offences come with a price.

This ballot has done harm to democracy

ON the face of it, a ballot to determine the future control of a village hall in Wales, between Rotherham and Sheffield, was a resounding decision with only a small minority sounding a note of dissent. But when the figures are examined more closely, observers are left scratching their heads in bewilderment at the scale of this failure in the ballot process. For slightly more than 150 people bothered to vote - out of a total of 5,000 eligible electors.

The ballot will have come at no small cost, both in financial and democratic terms. We hope that whoever was responsible for this shambles learns that no matter how attractive may have been the proposition of putting out a decision to popular choice, this wasn’t one of them.

Eat with kids’ eyes

YOU want the kids to eat healthily? The answer is simple... just give them their lunch in a trashy wrapper. Experts have realised that it’s not the food but the packaging that attracts youngsters and that food served in a McDonald’s bag, for instance, will go down a treat. Or you could simply go down the traditional route - and make them sit there until every scrap on the plate is eaten!