Readers' letters - February 14

Take heed of the story of The Boy who Cried Wolf
An 11-year-old boy went missing and was found hiding in an IkeaAn 11-year-old boy went missing and was found hiding in an Ikea
An 11-year-old boy went missing and was found hiding in an Ikea

What jolly japes. Let’s cause mum and dad so much worry, 24 hours of panic and the not knowing whether or not you are coming home. Yes, Kaden, what a laugh, hiding in Ikea.You must have thought, this is hilarious.No concern for the family at home.He should be taken to the police station and apologise for wasting police time – time that could have been spent chasing criminals, not wasting it looking for an 11-year-old that should know better.Kids get abducted and sometimes there’s not a good ending, so to pretend he has is pathetic.What happens if he does go missing and it’s real this time?Do the police think he’s pretending again and not take it seriously? Remember the boy who cried wolf. Look what happened there. Jayne Graysonvia emailWe are the ‘invisibles’ For Rare Disease Day (February 28), I hereby state the case for Post Polio Syndrome. PPS is not so much ‘rare’, or even ‘medium rare’, but ‘rather underdone’. PPS affects 120,000 people in the UK, more than Parkinson’s, however this neurological condition – for which there is no cure – receives a fraction of the attention. We are the invisibles, yet there might be 40,000,000 of us worldwide. A rarely published fact.While 86 per cent of the public have heard of Parkinson’s, only seven per cent know of PPS. Rare Disease Day is an opportunity not only to educate, but to remind Polio survivors that we can help them. Whether it’s benefits advice or simply a friendly ear, we want to hear from you.Having nearly lost my life at the age of 12 with encephalitis lethargica, and then again with Polio at the age of 22 – I was placed in an iron lung and now live with PPS myself – I know our charity’s true value. In helping our 10,000 or so members manage a devastating condition and cope with benefits and other daily hassles, inconveniences, upsets, and challenges, our ethos is true Fellowship. Helping just one of your readers with PPS would make this February 28 a rare success for me and our wonderful charity. Anyone in need of our support can call 0800 043 1935 (free), or visit https://britishpolio.org.uk/join-us/David MitchellNational Chairman, The British Polio FellowshipImportanceof librariesProfessionally staffed libraries form part of the fabric of many people’s lives, and are part of the support network which keeps many isolated, depressed, elderly, disabled and lonely people going.Across the UK, since 2010, we have seen between 800 and 1,000 libraries closed or handed over to volunteers. We have also seen between 8,000 and 10,000 library workers made redundant. We have a government libraries taskforce (which Labour also supports), which does not take representations from library users, front-line staff, campaigners or union members. We have had three libraries ministers since 2016, and we have had no national standards for libraries since Labour abolished them in 2008.We need a government that values public libraries and will reintroduce national library standards for England and will seek to reverse the amateurishness of librarianship as a profession. Martin VaughanAddress suppliedNo deterrentfor crime

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Re: Teenage Wigan firebugs punished by court (WP February 12). So you can burn a school down, wallop people over the head with a wooden plank and attack people enjoying a barbecue and the punishment you get is the equivalent of being grounded by your parents. That’ll serve as a real deterrent to others.Kane Greenvia WP Facebook

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