IN the Bolton Evening News on April 25, the prospect of MBDA Missile Systems being in the running for a £150m contract to make the latest precision-guided bombs appeared to be welcomed, uncritically.

However, in your leading article for Monday, April 28, you deplored, quite rightly, the high level of street violence in Bolton. You were, I think, unaware that there might be a connection between the two items.

Public reaction to the war in Iraq shows why they could have a significant relationship. Remember what happened. While the war was only a probability, the majority of people were against it, but once the killing started, it became increasingly popular.

Those of us who continued to oppose it found in Bolton that we were even prevented from holding a meeting in the Library Lecture Theatre, a decision which actually met with support from some of your readers.

Meanwhile the Prime Minister's popularity has soared, because it was known that he wanted the war so much that he was willing to risk his political career rather than go without it, and to vilify France for actually wanting peace.

The evidence suggests that, provided they can call killing other people war, instead of terrorism or murder, the majority of people in this country, once it starts, regard it as a form of entertainment to be enjoyed without inhibition from the safety of their sofas.

That is why those who want to spoil the fun, whether peace groups or Presidents, are patronised or even regarded with indignation.

A society which enjoys proxy killing so much (provided it is in a box marked "war") naturally will see nothing wrong in requiring people under penalty of unemployment to earn their living by manufacturing technologically-sophisticated murder weapons.

And one must expect such a society to have an increasing level of brutal social violence; for some of those entertained by the spectacle of "Operation Shock and Awe" and of bloodstained and maimed Iraqis will want to emulate what they have seen on a DIY basis.

Since we have a Prime Minister who simply loves going to war (Kosovo 1999; Afghanistan 2001; Iraq 2003) they are provided with an excellent role model.

Malcolm Pittock

St James Avenue

Breightmet