IT IS a sad indictment of this country that more than a quarter of state primary schools have no male teachers. Research seems to show the fear of being labelled a paedophile is apparently the main reason for the reluctance of many men to follow the path which once attracted many.

The lasting affect on children can have catastrophic consequences, particularly in today's Britain when so many are being brought up without fathers and therefore are in desperate need of another male role model in their lives – which once a male teacher might have fulfilled.

Obviously paedophilia is a serious matter and should not be taken lightly, but this country is becoming paralysed by fear of it. So much so it has gone from not understanding how seriously to take this heinous crime, to looking upon every adult who comes within a few yards of a child as a potential pervert.

Until the Government stops making ludicrous laws which frighten decent men from going into teaching for fear of being branded paedophiles, then this worrying trend will continue.

Of course, the well being of every child must be sacrosanct but their formative years are being badly blighted if all they see around them are females.

Men are also put off from becoming teachers because they are all too well aware that children can make their lives a misery by accusing them of abuse... one way of getting their back on a teacher who they don't like. Even if not guilty, that teacher will be hounded out of the job he loves.

Colin Richey

Tiverton

Tough sentence

NOW Vanessa George has admitted her part in this awful case, let us hope the judge will come up with a sentence to fit the crime. We have been far too soft on such people in the past that it is opportune to show the public that our justice system is indeed man enough to handle such cases.

Further, let us hear no more of such criminals being offered a new identity, etc. It has already been hinted that if this creature agrees to co-operate "it could affect the sentence".

I do hope that does not mean a menial sentence. If we are to stamp out this evil within our society it must be with a firm hand. Failing that, let the parents decide on the sentence.

Mike Bennett

Barnstaple

Freeze fuel poverty

HAVE you been affected by cancer and had trouble paying your fuel bills? If so, Macmillan Cancer Support would like to hear from you.

Perhaps you are struggling to make ends meet because your income has gone down since you or someone in your family has been diagnosed with cancer? Or maybe you have been awarded a Macmillan grant to help pay the bills?

A recent Macmillan survey found two-thirds of cancer patients struggling financially say paying fuel bills is their biggest money worry.

Macmillan would like to hear from anyone who has had cancer or is living with cancer. We would also like to hear from families whose household income has been affected by a cancer diagnosis.

In particular, we are looking for people who are willing to talk publicly about their experience in support of our campaign to see the Winter Fuel Payment extended to cancer patients.

If you can help, please call Nicola Strong on 01264 343807 or e-mail nstrong@macmillan. org.uk

For more information on Macmillan's Freeze Out Fuel Poverty campaign, please visit www.macmillan.org.uk/ fuelpoverty

Nicola Strong

Communications Officer for Central & South West England Macmillan Cancer Support

Leading by example

IT IS sanctimonious waffle to hear from Government ministers and politicians at large that the taxpayers will have to suffer "severe cuts in the services currently received": that taxes inevitably must be increased to drag this country out of the ever-deepening hole of debt.

I suggest the majority in this country would prefer the leaders set the example. They should live off their wages, remove any claims for expenses, repay 50 per cent of expenses claimed during the office of this present Government, and demand all members of the European Parliament, do likewise, making it easier for our debt to be decreased, not increased.

Lord Clifford of Chudleigh

Devon

Eco hypocrisy

RARELY a day goes by without this Government announcing green and "eco-friendly" initiatives – and only recently the Environment Secretary Hilary Benn stressed the need for the UK to be more food self sufficient.

It is hard to believe this is the same Government which is orchestrating a huge increase in the UK population and is determined to push through massive housing schemes irrespective of the views of local communities.

No Government can truthfully call itself eco-friendly when it encourages a booming population to concrete over vast swathes of land.

No doubt it will attempt to paper over these discrepancies by attaching the word "eco" to any development.

It is surely only a matter of time until the proposed third runway at Heathrow is described as an "eco-runway".

J H Mann

Torquay