SIR – I write with concern about the number of poorly placed zebra crossings that our council/highways are installing over the city lately.
We have all seen the dangers and frustration motorists face with the one between the Hive and Pitchcroft which causes huge tailbacks, is too close to the roundabout, and has limited visibility from one direction as one side hides behind the railway bridge.
Also, cyclists regularly cycle at speed from behind the bridge straight over the crossing (which I believe contravenes the highway code).
The one by Asda causes considerable tailbacks, and is also too close to the exit of a roundabout causing motorists to take quick action when turning left heading from City Walls Road direction. Now we have another one once again on the exit of a new roundabout outside the new Lidl store. Only today (the second day of opening) I witnessed a near miss as a vehicle had to brake hard after a car in front stopped suddenly as somebody was approaching the zebra crossing, yet didn’t actually use it, or intend to.
Drivers waiting to turn left out of Lidl’s car park are looking to their right to check it is clear, and then nip out. If somebody has stepped onto the crossing to their left, it is so close that before they have time to react, they could potentially run into the pedestrian.
There are regulations on the safe and recommended distance of such crossings next to roundabouts. The absolute minimum should be five metres. I question whether this new one is compliant with this, and perhaps also the others. At the very least, it is borderline. What was wrong with the original pedestrian refuge island?
When is the council or highways agency going to realise that many of the changes and so called improvements they are implementing are actually increasing the risk of injury to pedestrians, motorists, cyclists, etc.? Do they even care?
GARY WEBB
Worcester

Why do we pay for EU patients in hospitals?  
SIR – Taxpayers are being ripped off to the tune of £500 million a year because hospitals are too lax at charging Europeans for their treatment.
Meanwhile the so called health tourism gap, between the amount the NHS collects from EU patients and the total hospitals on the continent receive when UK residents fall ill abroad, now stands at £700 million.
This system is pushing the NHS to breaking point, and is reason alone we should quit the EU.
Whilst we remain in the EU, hospitals must do more to reclaim these monies from the countries of which residents fall ill - this is clearly available to do so.
Why should the British taxpayer pay for EU persons’ hospital trips, when their own countries are able to stump up?
Hospitals need to be far more efficient in reclaiming these charges.
GB DIPPER
Leominster

Cuts furthering the interests of rich elite 
SIR – In response to Cllr Chris Mitchell’s letter (February 11) – he had nothing to say about the County Council’s council tax increase, which is far greater than the city council tax increase that the previous administration proposed and which the Conservatives will propose.
He had nothing to say about the huge cuts in central funding that are forcing local councils to increase council tax. Soon there will be no central funding. The government is cutting tax to corporations and high earners, then forcing local tax payers to pick up the bill.
If Councillor Mitchell and many other councillors across the country had consistently campaigned against the cuts over the past six years, we might not be in a situation where council tax has to be increased.
The reality is the cuts are part of Tory ideology to wind down the welfare state, whilst furthering the interests of the rich elite who fund the party.
NEIL LAURENSON
Green Party councillor, 
St Stephen

Support for PM from MPs is wearing thin 
SIR – I read a most enlightening article in a Campaign for an Independent Britain  email in which Conservative Eurosceptic Peter Lilley explains his reasons for switching from Europhile, despite Mr Cameron’s apparent charm and persuasiveness.
 The article ends by referring to More Nonsense Rebutted. It asks if anyone still believes that the “remain” side will play fair, a couple of recent newspaper articles should be sufficient to dispel such illusions. 
Desperate remain supporters dwindling in numbers seeking to suggest that Margaret Thatcher said that she would have supported the Maastricht Treaty  (including her former private secretary, Charles Powell), a claim very swiftly scotched by Bill Cash MP referring to a letter to him from Mrs. Thatcher saying “I understand that it is suggested in some quarters that I would have agreed to the Maastricht Treaty, I would NOT have done so. In my view it’s contrary to Britain’s interests in terms of parliamentary democracy.”
 Mr. Cameron’s support amongst his MPs is wearing thin. Although never of a Thatcherite persuasion nor Churchillian for that matter, as far as the EU and the power of a continental superstate is concerned, I believe they both got it.
WENDY HANDS
Upton-on-Severn