I AM pleased that not only have we retained accident and emergency services at the Alexandra Hospital, under threat in the late 1990s, but the service is going from strength to strength with new investment and new staff.

Now, recent figures show sharp improvements in the time it takes to receive treatment there. The A&E department at the Alex easily surpassed national targets set to drive up standards.

The figures show that 96 per cent of patients were either treated and discharged or admitted to the hospital for more serious complaints in under four hours - this is up from 80 per cent earlier in 2002.

Many clinicians welcome this target as it enables staff to measure the effects of every part of the health service that either feeds into A&E or that depend on what happens in the department.

Everyone at the Alex should be congratulated on reaching this target and achieving improvements because it is a measure of the whole hospital's service.

Last week saw the announcement that asylum applications had been drastically reduced in the last three months.

The Labour Government's tough actions to secure the Channel Tunnel and move border controls into France, coupled with steps to make asylum less attractive for abusers of the system, are working.

The monthly rate of applications has been cut virtually in half, meaning there is more time to deal with the needs of those who make genuine claims and for whom help should be given.

I was very disappointed to read in the Advertiser of the mindless damage carried out by vandals at Batchley Pool.

I have written to the police asking them to use some of the new officers they now have to step up patrols in the area and to consider using Antisocial Behaviour Orders against anyone they find to be responsible for such a heartless act.