THERE are rumours that our traditional passport - the pride of every British citizen throughout the world - is being stealthily altered by Tony Blair's Government to incorporate the EU ring of yellow falling stars.

It's frightening. This comes as yet another straw to help break the proverbial camel's back.

I was horrified to see my recently-received new pink plastic card driving licence emblazoned with this ghastly symbol of stars.

However, because I buy, wherever possible, British manufactured and home-grown produce in preference to foreign goods, I was able to cover the stars on their blue rectangular background with a tiny Union Jack found on a succulent British grown pear!

Illegal? I don't care - at least my holographic image stamped below it will be looking at a more appropriate flag. For Big Brother has decreed details such as country of origin, birth date, name, address, post code, photograph and a copy of the owner's original signature plus other funny little numbers, letters, markings and a computer-type bar code probably giving financial status, religion and political affiliations.

Who knows what else is added to this new-style identity card? What a bonus for the criminals who are now so well protected by Brussels and from our poor police force, who try to serve the public with both hands tied behind their backs.

J ALEXANDER,

Herefordshire.