SIR – I have just read this week’s story of a homeless ex-squaddie, whose tent was slashed on the racecourse. If that’s not enough of an embarrassment to our city, it transpires our local council refused to home him. Their reason? His lack of a drugs or drink dependency meant he was not deemed ‘vulnerable’ enough for housing! This in the same month the council was able to find room for 50 Syrian families in Worcester.
Our council needs to get their priorities straight. While they try to one-up neighbouring councils in the who-can-be most-pc stakes, British ex-servicemen are freezing on the streets.
We all read the story of the horrific attack on another homeless man, earlier this month. Thank Goodness for Dave Carney of the Worcester Ex-Servicemen’s club for stepping in to help this man. Any time spent off the streets is a blessing. Also deserving of thanks is our local MEP, James Carver of UKIP, who chipped in with his own funds to help out, while other local politicians were noticeably absent. The UKIP MEP is also involved in the campaign to free Sergeant Blackman, Marine A.
Is UKIP the only party which cares about our ex-soldiers?
OWEN CLEARY
Worcester


A paper to support eating less meat
SIR – Re: letter by N Taylor (February 10). I have a great level of respect for N Taylor’s letters, they are generally well considered, however I must challenge the assertions he made in a recent letter to your paper. 
He stated that there were no academic papers to support an earlier letter writer’s assertion that eating less meat would reduce the impact of climate change. A great starting point is to google “Monbiot population” where, top of the list, there is an accessible article in the Guardian with full links to back up his academic research. There are of course plenty of other weightier academic papers if you have the will to look, examples being from Chatham House of the Royal Institute of International Affairs.
He also stated that the Green Party supported the SWDP. To be clear we have never supported this top down approach to planning our housing. More homes are needed especially affordable homes. 
Green field sites generally produce houses that are too expensive and are on the outskirts requiring double incomes and two cars which then cause so much congestion in the city. 
Instead we believe there is much potential to bring back into use empty homes, to build on brown field sites and to get more people living above the shops in our city centre.
LOUIS STEPHEN
Worcester Green Party

Congratulations for fundraising efforts
SIR – Well done to Mary Kingan, whose sponsored slim raised £460 towards housing for abandoned rabbits at the RSPCA’s new rescue centre (“Sponsored slim raises cash for rescued rabbits” (Worcester News, February 13).
These animals need all the help they can get as, according to the Rabbit Welfare Association, “Every year, thousands of rabbits end up abandoned in rescue centres which constantly struggle to find the resources to keep them running.”
And the PDSA’s Senior Veterinary Surgeon has stated: “Hundreds of thousands of rabbits face an unhappy, lonely existence in cramped accommodation, whilst being fed an inappropriate diet and suffering from a range of painful diseases.”
The reasons for this appalling situation are that people are keeping rabbits without understanding how to properly care for them and far too many of these animals are being bred than good homes available.
That’s why it’s vital anyone wishing to adopt a rabbit should get one from a rescue, rather than a breeder or pet shop, should avoid allowing them to breed and should learn how to look after them.
LILY MICHAELS
Evesham

Questionable letters from Eurosceptics
SIR – I have been reading some of the letters over the past few weeks from the usual Eurosceptic suspects. Some, like my former town council colleague Will Richards are well reasoned and cogent and capable of having a reasoned public debate with.
Then we come to G B Dipper at the other end of the scale. 
In a recent letter he highlighted a case where a Muslim migrant was convicted of rape. In it he never attempted to discover the number of native British similarly convicted are proportionately the same. I have done the research.
For him to use his Eurosceptic views as a mask for bigotry not only lowers the tone but should not be tolerated.
CLIVE SMITH
Malvern


Do we need to spend cash on a new station?
SIR - Do we need to spend £22 million on a railway station? All that is needed is two platforms, two waiting rooms with toilets, a member of staff, ticket information room and a car park.
After all people are only going to catch a train. Not spend their holiday at the station.
JL REYNOLDS
Worcester 

Is immigration getting out of control?
SIR - Out of control immigration has had a disastrous effect on this once proud and unified country, with some parts like ghettos.
Offences committed against young women by foreigners have risen, yet it is illegal to have pepper spray or anything deemed a weapon for their personal safety.
It can only get worse.
MRS C BAYLISS
Worcester