WHO are the mystery persons creating high fuel charges and escalating house prices?

Yesterday, BP announced record profits for the first three months of this year of £2.74 billions! I ask, what was the point of road users having to pay higher pump prices because of the war in Iraq?

Incidentally, of the 17 countries in Europe, only the UK and Portugal charge more for diesel than petrol. Why is this, when for 30 years I paid less for diesel.

It is only in recent times that diesel has become more expensive than petrol. The fact is diesel is less refined than petrol; therefore its production costs are less.

Could it be that the popularity of diesel-driven vehicles has entered the equation? The fuel companies never miss a trick.

And it is all very well some of us feeling rather chuffed at the rising value of our houses -- mine has almost doubled in three years -- but the only winners are the banks, building societies, solicitors, and estate agents.

Young couples have little if any chance of getting on the first rung of the property ladder, and if they do the burden of the yoke around their necks will be a destructive element in their partnership.

It has also been announced that the top executive of the HSBC bank has been given an annual multi-million pound package.

I ask politicians, especially Tony Blair, how on earth do they expect the public to accept 'reasonable' pay rises?

I believe, given the example set by the 'fat cats', that the public will turn greedy, too, with an element of dishonesty thrown in to try to keep up with the Joneses.

George Whitlow

Solent Drive

Bolton.