SIR – Once a fortnight, on a Wednesday, I go to Astwood Cemetery, to tend five graves, which I have been doing for the last 10 years or so.

Sometimes I take a walk round to catch up on old friends and family that have passed on, but what I find disgusting is graves that have been ignored for years and overgrown with weeds and columbine, and the descendants are gone as well, this is not on.

On Wednesday June 22, I read a headstone at an angle of 45 degrees toward the grave, which stated this man was born 1902, died 1976, the stone had sunk to ground level, and the headstone was nearly flat after falling over, with lichen growing on it.

In fact after walking round the whole cemetery I counted 16 graves in the same condition, some even worse. I take pride in my work on all my family’s graves, but to see some of the others is really disheartening to know they have a couldn’t care less attitude. If all these graves from 1890 to 1900 were ploughed over and all rubble removed safely, there would be room for others that do care.

LM PRESLEY

Worcester

Bring back death penalty

SIR – When will the government have a referendum on whether or not to bring back the death penalty?

Never, I think because they know what the general majority would say, and I fear they wouldn’t like that.

We all know how good modern technology is and I’m sure there would be no wrongful results carried out.

What are your thoughts? The same as mine I expect.

I’m sorry to be mentioning it, but, do you remember the death of Jo Cox. Who is going to pay for the years that Mair spends in prison? Yes, us, the tax payers. Is that justice?

BILL JAY

Worcester

Association is in charge

SIR – The connection between the Twinning Association and the City Council does not rest on the Mayor, but on the fact that it is the city, by passing a motion in full council, who have decided to institute twinning arrangements with each of our twin towns. Having passed the motion, they delegate the organisation of all twinning activities to the Twinning Association. The Association runs the city’s twinning activities at no cost to the council other than the provision a meeting room for them every two months.

The Twinning Association is a voluntary organisation with its only income coming from the subscriptions and fundraising efforts of its own members, albeit with occasional grants for specific events. Twinning visits are paid for by the members who take part and visitors from our twin towns are hosted by members at their own expense.

Liz Smith,

chairman Worcester

The system is utter disgrace

SIR – In our family we have received between us three letters to say we failed to attend appointments at cardiology and eye department.

On now getting an appointment for the eye department on Tuesday. I am greeted at reception to see a notice telling patients 204 appointments failed to be kept in June. As I believe letters are supposed to go out under some automated process, isn’t this an utter disgrace and how many other patients attending other departments are also not getting their letter? With these numbers staff can’t be that busy surely.

MRS R GRINNELL

Worcester

Contemplate the hypocrisy

SIR – As we consider Chilcot and the unintended consequences of ill-considered actions by those with political ambition, I invite those who voted Brexit to contemplate the hypocrisy of reversing out of Europe and leaving 27 nations who had no responsibility for the Iraq War to deal with the consequences of turmoil.

Andrew Boughton

Colwall

Do we need a football club?

SIR – Does Worcester really need a football club? I doubt it. Just a few hundred people attending each home game can hardly be cost effective.

Mind you, I do not have a strong interest in football so maybe I’m biased.

Dave Skelton

Worcester