Pick it up: This is an open letter addressed to those irresponsible, inconsiderate and anti-social beings (of which there are several) who allow their dogs to foul the pavements, grass verges, fields (including playing fields) and lanes (particularly Wooden Hill Lane) of Romanby, without picking up the deposits.

In your ignorance, you are clearly not aware that intestinal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms lay eggs that are passed in the dog's stool can infect other dogs when they eat contaminated soil, lick contaminated fur or paws, or drink water contaminated with the stool from infected dogs.

In addition, parasites can be transmitted to livestock through infected dog waste being left on grazing land.

Some of these parasites cause diseases in livestock which can result in death of sheep, and abortion in cattle.

If this is not enough evidence of the dangers of dog waste, then perhaps the knowledge that dog faeces can pose a significant health risk to humans, particularly young children, will persuade irresponsible dog owners to pick up their dog’s waste.

Children are also more likely to come into contact with soil or sand that contains dog faeces whilst playing in parks, gardens and playgrounds.

All faeces contain bacteria that can cause stomach upsets, but the greatest risk is from toxocariasis. Toxocariasis is particularly hazardous to small children as it can result in blindness.

So please demonstrate some consideration for others; next time your dog leaves a deposit in a public area – pick it up.

Name supplied, Romanby.

Missing A&E

I WAS pleased to read that work is to start on the Catterick Integrated Health Campus “Work due to start on £55m health campus” (D&S Times, December 29).

However, reading through the impressive list of facilities, I looked in vain for any mention of accident and emergency cover.

The Friarage Hospital in Northallerton no longer offers full A&E facilities and the South Tees NHS Trust refers to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough as the only A&E facility offered by the trust in North Yorkshire.

Surely this is an unacceptable position.

People needing A&E attention need it quickly and are in no position to withstand the rigours and time involved in a journey across this large county.

The new hospital at Catterick will be ideally placed geographically to provide A&E cover and should do so.

Gerald Hodgson, Spennithorne, Leyburn.

Council swansong

I HAVE been very critical of the now-defunct Hambleton District Council for their tardiness in completing the Northallerton Sports Village but I must give credit where it is due!

It was finally opened just before Christmas and it is proving very popular with a wide range of people from the ubiquitous dog walker to cyclists.

So well done Hambleton District Council you have left us an excellent swansong project with lots of scope for additional facilities.

Robert Carter, Brompton, Northallerton.

Choir fundraiser

MAY we say a huge thank you to the many people who attended our Christmas concert in Leyburn Chapel and for so very generously supporting our charity that evening.

An amazing £879.20 was collected and has been sent to the Marie Curie charity.

Thank you so very much for your continued support of our choir. You are our inspiration! A very happy and healthy New Year to you all.

Leyburn Ladies Choir, Leyburn.

Art inspiration

THANK YOU so much for the lovely article on Tom Hume, he was my art teacher, in that new art block at Middlesbrough High School, from 1971, “Memorial exhibition planned for ‘inspirational’ art teacher” (D&S Times, Jan 5).

It was unlike the formal lessons, of academic subjects, at which I was no good at all.

It was a wholly creative place, conducive to learning about, and making art.

We played music; I learned about bands I’d never heard of, and still have my first LP, bought from another student there.

Tom made me feel valued, that I did belong somewhere. Eventually, I went on to become an art teacher too.

I look forward to the exhibition of his work.

Judith Barber, Lingdale, Saltburn.

NHS admin

I RECENTLY received two letters on the same day from the NHS.

One telling me my appointment had been cancelled, the other giving me the re-arranged date.

Little wonder the health service is in the state it’s in.

Jean Holmes, Stokesley.

Labour plans?

IN recent weeks we have seen several announcements from the Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen. These announcements include £250m for a Darlington bypass, Teesside Airport Station to be rebuilt, and employment in the Tees Valley has increased by 3.6 per cent.

He has even announced a study into the potential to create a tunnel under the Tees.

Now, compare that with the Labour candidate, does anybody even know who he or she is, let alone what he or she stands for?

Even the Green candidate has hit the ground running, are Labour once again taking voters in the Tees Valley for granted?

With the election coming up in May, Labour really need to get off their backsides and do something.

Michael Walker, Darlington.

Pint of wine, anyone?

KEVIN HOLLINRAKE MP is clearly desperate to find something good to say about Brexit.

His reaction to the news that we can now produce wine in pint bottles: “Our exit from the EU was all about moments just like this, where we can seize new opportunities and provide a real boost to our great British wineries and further growing the economy”.

I doubt we will ever see wine sold by the pint because of the extra costs in manufacturing pint bottles and different packaging for distribution.

Obviously, 568ml containers offer less value to consumers than 750ml.

Why would anyone actually prefer a pint bottle to what we are accustomed to, a bottle that delivers six glasses of wine?

To claim that this is a marvellous Brexit win demonstrates the vacuousness of promises made to consumers about lower prices and fresh opportunities.

Brexit has brought higher costs, more bureaucracy, barriers to exporting, more expensive imports, and precious few trade agreements of any substance.

Never mind, Kevin. Somewhere you might find an eccentric producer of Brexit wine in pint bottles, made by appointment to your friend Jacob Rees Mogg, perhaps?

Simon Sweeney, Sheriff Hutton.

Season of goodwill?

IT is the season of goodwill so they say of the Christmas period, but obviously not in Helmsley.

On visiting on Friday afternoon over Christmas we searched the whole area for a parking spot – not one was to be found until we arrived at the coach car park.

At 1pm no coaches were parked and at a guess none would be arriving later in the afternoon so as there were several cars already parked there we joined them other than turning round and going straight back home. We paid the usual parking fee and went into the town for afternoon tea. On our return we found, along with the other cars, a parking fine.

This, in our mind, is disgraceful.

Do you want to encourage visitors or not?

It’s a shame you can’t follow Hambleton’s example who give free parking in Northallerton over the Christmas period.

Fred and Liz Metcalfe, Hambleton.

Post Office scandal

CONGRATULATIONS to ITV for this brilliant drama telling the true story of the appalling treatment of more than a thousand sub-postmasters and mistresses by the Post Office, falsely accused of fraud.

The inquiry is still ongoing, many have not yet been compensated, some of the falsely accused served time in prison, some have now died, four took their own lives.

The Tory MP James Arbuthnot deserves praise because without his intervention the inquiry would never have got off the ground.

G Carr, Aycliffe Village.

The Call of Fatal Optimism

The D&S editorial back in September, “A heated debate”

Suggested cuts to emissions have a date that’s far too late.

To his constituents Rishi wrote and explained,

“The plans to meet net zero will only succeed if public support is maintained.”

One point five degrees

Does this explain why denial and fatal optimism and are now the norm?

We know 2024 will face drought, fire, flood and never ending storms.

We lament inaction for Covid-spread and each past tragedy,

But none question our absurd ‘climate emergency’ strategy.

Three years of promises are now well gone.

And ever increasing emissions in those critical years can never be undone.

The hopes of Paris 2015, with a maximum temperature rise

Now abandoned, as we sail past one point five.

The current favourite of political boasts

Is just to stop migrants in their small boats.

Yet policies will now scorch North Africa and the Med:

Too bad for those who’ve not yet fled.

Our hyper optimism just makes no sense

As the Barrier can’t save our current pretence

That all will be fine in ‘Marrakesh-on-Thames’.

A haven from an adjacent continent in flames.

“The plans to meet net zero will only succeed if public support is maintained.”

Two degrees

Net zero by 2050 is considered fine

As a distant target to bring emissions back in line

Why, oh why, one asks, do we emit yet more,

We know full well that temperatures by then will soar.

We think it’s fine, to construct for a far distant time,

And leave a legacy of concrete, steel and brick as evidence of our crime.

We say we would construct in low or minus-carbon if we could

And refuse to research or copy old pre-industrial structures in stone and wood.

Even with no fossil fuels and a total emission freeze

The best we could hope for this decade is a massive two degrees,

Which would still displace two million souls

As they flee from flood and heat-parched soils to cooler goals.

“The plans to meet net zero will only succeed if public support is maintained.”

Three degrees

The next generation will struggle to survive

And face fearful choices, to stay alive.

Do we care, that the current young won’t find a way

To reduce the carbon from the air that we’ve released in much cooler days?

They will see the time for tipping points and temperature cascades,

That will bring, heat on heat, far beyond any human aid.

All our folly at trying to negotiate with thermodynamic law

Will bring disaster on a Black Death scale, as we jump to three degrees or more.

“The plans to meet net zero will only succeed if public support is maintained.”

Five degrees

As the planet then flips to over five,

Fewer than half living things survive,

Scavenging on an alien land

In fiery transition from loamy soil to barren sand.

The killing of our own kin and progeny – ‘progenicide’,

A democratic choice from which we can’t hide.

We who don’t care to think it a sin,

To vehemently believe we owe the future nothing.

“The plans to meet net zero will only succeed if public support is maintained.”

Robert Thorniley, member of Climate Action Northallerton and Osmotherley Decarbonisation Group, and author of the novel ‘Greenhush’.