SIR – Can we stop the hysteria about the Ketch roundabout. I have driven through rush-hour traffic for over 20 years in Birmingham and I have never been in an accident nor seen an accident.
But in 10 years in Worcestershire I have had more near misses, caused by poor driving, and stopped to assist at five accidents. Four times and at differing roundabouts I have had drivers coming head on going the wrong way round the roundabout.
Does this mean there is something wrong with all these roundabouts or is there something wrong with the drivers. I have used the Ketch roundabout and the only problem I have had was when I was going to turn left to go over Carrington Bridge and another driver coming from the direction of the Harvester had the same idea, only they decided to miss out the roundabout entirely and simply turn right narrowly missing causing a major crash involving three cars including mine. The fault of the roundabout? I don’t think so, as they didn’t use it at all.
If any junction is dangerous it is the one near the Severn View Hotel in Worcester where two lanes become four. The merging that is expected at the Ketch Roundabout is no different from that at the Sixways roundabout coming from Droitwich up to the M5 junction. but there is no fuss about that. Drive carefully at a sensible speed and everything will be fine.
VAL HARVEY
Malvern

I'm not a racist just because I back UKIP
SIR – I’m a firm believer in UKIP policies, but, however I’m very angry that I’m being called a racist by a number of those I speak with, purely because of my political allegiance. I find it difficult to understand why other political party supporters do not receive similar rebukes.
I have a good family friend who has a relation, who is currently in training at a teaching facility in India to become a doctor. I’m told he has approached the British government with a view to moving to this country to practice as a doctor in our NHS. This person has had to present numerous pieces of evidence, confirming who he is, his training, this bank details. He has been told his case will not be heard before the end of 2016.
How ever on the television news, the other day, there was a man, who had arrived in Italy having been rescued from a ship found floating in the Mediterranean.
Why should we as a country, allow that man and his fellow travellers in to this country? Who is he? Does he have a skill he can offer to us, is he a criminal? Can he prove the reason he left his country of origin was in fact due to his persecutions, whether it was due to his political leaning or his sexual leaning or is he linked to terrorism or sexual abuse?.  
If he does arrive here with out the right documents or permission, he should be placed into a form of secure accommodation that is behind a good high fence. He should work while within this facility, to pay off the cost of our keeping him. He should provide the required evidence, at his own cost, He should be required to confirm beyond doubt who he is and the reason for him presenting him self to the people of this country.
Sadly I’m told that because the man is from Africa and his skin colour differs from mine I’m being racist, Which is odd really as I’m keen to see my friends relation working in our NHS and if I’m being technically correct I think his skin tone differs from mine.
IVAN CARTER
Worcester


Get your cat neutered at earliest opportunity
SIR – I sincerely hope Worcester RSPCA manage to find homes for all the cats in their care (“RSPCA calls on the generosity of animal lovers to adopt cats, WN, June 5).
It’s not at all surprising that the charity’s rescue centre is at ‘bursting’ point, given that tens of thousands of cats are being abandoned or become ‘unwanted’ in this country every year.
Sadly, despite the valiant efforts of the RSPCA and other charities, many of these animals end up being “put down” because deliberate and negligent breeding has produced far more cats than homes are available for them.
It’s been estimated that one un-spayed female cat and one un-neutered male and their offspring can produce 420,000 kittens in 7 years!
For this reason, it is vital that members of the public should get their cats neutered and spayed at the earliest opportunity.
Kittens can breed while still quite young, so many cat welfare organisations recommended they be neutered/spayed as early as four months of age.
And please don’t encourage breeding by buying a cat or kitten from a breeder or pet shop. Go to a rescue shelter instead!
JANE HARGREAVES
Stourport

Outsourcing won't bring better services
SIR – Vivian Jones, in charge of Worcestershire’s high-ways for 15 years, said in relation to the Whittington island what people have been saying for years: ‘The council has suffered too many cuts and as a result he suspects it has lost too much in-house expertise.’ (Worcester News, June 3).
 As a national broadsheet journalist wrote just two days before Mr Jones’ comments were published: ‘Forced to make deep cuts, many Tory authorities are using this crisis as the perfect opportunity to hollow out their services.’
For an extreme example of where this can lead, look at Barnet Council: everything from registering births to mowing cemeteries has either already been outsourced or is about to be. As the aforementioned journalist said, it would be comic if it didn’t cost blameless taxpayers so much money. Council employees who have transferred to new employers have suffered pay cuts and more services are likely to be outsourced/privatised.
I have heard local Conser-vative councillors say that outsourcing leads to better services, cheaper costs and greater accountability. Don’t believe it.
NEIL LAURENSON
Worcester Green Party

Mother Nature will have her little joke
SIR – Simon McCulloch draws attention to the sour content of your online comments. This is a phenomenon that medical and psychiatric journals have noted since the 1950s, it could be summed up as the ‘angry man syndrome’.
The onset tends to be in men over the age of 50 years and is the result of biological and psychological changes associated with ageing. Fault and blame is found with everything, young people, other road users, the council, foreigners, the list is endless.
The best preventive measure is taking on new experiences and developing fresh interests, but at the end of the day, it’s Mother Nature having her little joke.
DEREK FEARNSIDE
Northwick