REGARDING Mr J Holden's letter of November 16, in which he attempts to pour boiling ink over the heads of our firefighters because they demand a decent standard of living befitting the important position they occupy within our society.

Like a well-trained spin doctor, he tries to mimic a speech the Prime Minister made about two weeks ago, and echoed by some of the other politicians who have just voted themselves a massive pension rise, a large salary increase, and a shorter working week.

I would advise Mr Holden, instead of painting rosy pictures in the columns of this newspaper and mixing them with a bleak, Blair catastrophe of sorts to discredit our firefighters, he should rise up from the depths and throw his Labour Party snorkel away.

Mr Holden should pay a visit to the bottom of Halliwell Road, and many council estates up down the country, where it is not Saddam Hussein people are frightened of, but the criminal poor who mug young and old alike and vandalise property.

Mr Holden boasts about home ownership, knowing full well millions can't even afford the deposit, and those who can face a lifetime of debt.

I believe this Labour Government will shortly be ordering two aircraft carriers at a cost of £5 billion each and each will carry 129 fighter planes and bombers -- only the Lord knows how much it will cost to man them.

Perhaps Mr Holden can remember Thatcher's poll tax, which cost the British taxpayer an estimated £28 billion, or maybe he can recall the Dome -- some say it cost £850 million. Then we had the refurbishment of the luxury apartments used by the upper echelons, the elite of the Labour Government, which cost the taxpayers millions.

By the way, Mr Holden, perhaps you can explain how the firefighters, during the last war, managed to contain the fires during the Blitz with equipment which today would be more than 60 years old?

L Bradburn

Nevis Grove

Astley Bridge, Bolton