CHRISTMAS and the New Year will soon be on us and we will all eat, drink and make merry.

I hate to think what 1997 will bring.

In 1996 our once-so-proud country had the Dunblane massacre, 368 murders, 11,478 break-ins, 341 drug related deaths, 6,992 cars stolen from our streets and now the Church of England are to consider ordination of gays and lesbians for the priesthood.

Just what is going on?

My New Year's wish is that the army and police take full control of Parliament, get rid of all the MPs and do-gooders, so that every decent person can sleep at night and kids can grow up without the fear we have for them now.

JACK LORD, Quebec Road, Lammack, Blackburn.

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