YET another lamb has been led to the slaughter. I refer, of course, to the Glenn Hoddle saga. Whether you like or loathe him, surely, you must feel some remorse at the way he was duped by the Press.

It is frightening how journalists and media personnel seem to take great satisfaction in bringing someone down.

Only two people know the full extent of the conversation that went on on that fateful day. Glenn found out that revealing his beliefs to a 'Judas' resulted in him being crucified.

I do not believe in reincarnation, but, I do believe in free speech, democracy and one's right to express one's views without condemnation. I also believe there are two sides to every story and that the comments which Mr Hoddle allegedly made were taken literally and out of context.

After all, we all perceive things differently and are not most religions today basically the same - just a different interpretation of the written word?

When will this country, along with many others, realise that people who are in the public eye have private lives, their own thoughts and beliefs and are only human like the rest of us.

Unfortunately, once you reach a certain status in our society it seems that you have to become almost inhuman.

If the media like you, you are catapulted into super stardom. If they don't, then it is a case of how many knives you can take before you fall!

KIM KEOGH (Mrs), Rydal Mount, Belthorn, Blackburn.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.