SIR – On Saturday at 12.30pm I left Meadowbank Drive in St John’s to visit someone In the Tunnel Hill area of Worcester where I said I would be there by 1pm. I arrived 15 minutes late because of traffic congestion.
On Sunday I left Meadowbank Drive at 12.00pm to meet friends in The Talbot Barbourne Road at 12.30pm, when I was at the top of Castle Street I watched the lights change 5 times without moving at all, I gave up and parked the car in Farrier ST. Needless to say I was late again. 
Both of these journeys should take no longer than 10 to 15 minutes. This is not rush hour traffic this is weekend traffic which I will not entertain again in a hurry. 
The ironic thing was, BBC Hereford and Worcester reported that there weren’t any traffic problems, which makes me feel that this is now the norm. How much is this costing the local economy I wonder. Now all our Councillors want to talk about is duelling the Carrington Bridge which is fine, but if we build the super village we will just have 2 lanes of grid lock instead of 1. 
My question is, why is finishing the ring road and building a third Worcester bridge not even up for discussion? This and getting rid of all the bus lanes is the only common sense thing to solve our traffic problems. Can any of our Councillors give me an answer to the obvious please.
JOHN MATTHEWS
Worcester

Refugees being taken in against our wishes
SIR – In reply to Peter Nielsen, November 16. You mention the large numbers of ‘refugees’ being taken in by European countries. What you failed to mention Peter, is the governments are doing this against their people’s wishes. 
You wish to see Britain take in even more refugees. Peter is generous with the tax payer’s money. Is it Green policy to build 600,000 new homes, but not to build them near where you live Peter, in Battenhall, Worcestershire? 
A Green Party concreting over the landscape. Not very Green are you? Then your party wants to remove all border controls and failed asylum seekers can reapply to come to Britain. 
Also, people who transport immigrants here won’t be prosecuted. Correct me if I’m wrong, but are these still the Green’s policies? 
Are the Greens the same as the Euro-Greens, whose leader Daniel Cohn Bendit wrote books in the 1970s/80s  about his erotic exploits with 5 year olds as a kindergarten teacher? Can you clarify this Peter? 
CARL MASON, BNP 
Worcester

Event tarnished by ear-shattering music level 
SIR – I have just returned home from Worcester City centre, and my ears are still ringing from the volume of the music that was being played outside the Guildhall in the build up to the Christmas lights switch on this evening.
I presume this was supposed to be family entertainment, but all I could see were children with their hands over their ears, being taken away from the area by their parents, because of the ear-shattering volume of the music.  
I am not a spoilsport or an old fogey, and have attended rock concerts all over the UK, but have never experienced anything like I found in Worcester High Street today.
The Craft fair at the Guildhall closed early because the loud music was driving customers away, and I can’t imagine that the shops in the vicinity were overjoyed by it either.
I have no idea who was responsible for this event, but I hope that they take note and next year make sure that the volume is no louder than that of the community and school choirs that sang during the afternoon - who were a pleasure to listen to.
ANN PATRICK
Kempsey

Shocked by findings on the South Pole 
SIR – I wonder how many of you read the recent article in the Daily Telegraph, which detailed NASA’s findings on the climate of the South Pole? 
The US governmental department recently published their findings relating to the thickness of the Antarctic sea ice of the South Pole. The results were not what I expected. 
I was interested to read that since 1992, the thickness of the Antarctic ice has actually increased, by varying degrees, each year. The Journal of Glaciology, which published the initial findings for NASA, concludes that these increases offset losses elsewhere. 
I don’t claim to know a lot about the Earth and the patterns of the climate.
However, these findings from reputable global sources absolutely baffled me, for I am constantly told the Earth’s ice is melting... 
Having since spent a few headache-inducing hours reading through the information on the websites of both NASA and the Journal of Glaciology, I further learned that while the South Pole’s Antarctic ice increases, the North Pole’s Arctic ice decreases. 
I wonder if this polar contradiction will get a mention at this month’s climate change summit in France, or is the North Pole the only important pole on our planet? 
PAUL HICKLING
Worcester

Locals in need should be where money goes
SIR – If Worcester homelessness services used less of the taxpayers’ money on foreign nationals here, there would be more funds available for local, genuinely in need, for whom food and warmth through the winter months should be a priority.
MRS C BAYLISS
Worcester