SIR - L Spiteri (letters, June 28) tempts me to reply to "Hiroshima and Nagasaki - killing can never be justified" year after year. So many times in newspapers I have offered my selfish viewpoint.

When Fat Man and Little Boy were deployed against Japan in 1945, I was a soldier in the Far East. My life was saved and I am now 81.

However, could I direct his attention to the ongoing loss of life in this country? Murder statistics tell us that at least 250 poor souls have been killed each year since Tony Blair came into power in 1997 and brought in "tough on crime" New Labour. In 1997 there were 705 homicides. In 2004/2005 there 954.

FRANK L JONES,

Malvern.