I AM writing to object to BT’s proposal to close the phone box in Rillington, along with all the others they are planning to close.

The phone box is vital as not everyone has a mobile phone and not everyone has a home phone either.

The phone box needs to stay for an emergency.

If there is an accident, people can use the phone box.

Also, mobile phones don’t always get a signal so we need the phone box to be kept. It is vital.

Janette England Rillington

Shoebox appeal

I WILL, once again be collecting shoeboxes for the 2019 appeal.

This year, due to limited space, I can only accept full boxes, apart from hats, gloves and scarves.

Please drop them off at 14 Willow Court, Pickering. Any queries, phone 01751 475143.

Thank you.

Daphne Bowes, Pickering

Time to bite bullet?

WHILE it is welcome to see

major NHS investment planned

in York Hospital for the growing population of older people needing cardio-vascular procedures, given

the inevitable significant flows of patients to this new facility I

think we need clarification on the following:

1. Given the existing traffic/parking congestion is this the best location to spend £10 to £14 million?

2. The proposal shows the new four-storey building being built on to a very small limited site with no future room for expansion. This is major drawback.

3. Often cardio patients need to get to hospital very quickly. Would it be better in the long-term interests to seek a new development site, as the existing hospital site is heavily restricted?

4. Given the high investment costs of cardio equipment it would be advisable to make York a Centre of Excellence and reduce the number of patients travelling through to St James’ Hospital in Leeds.

In summary, would it be more beneficial to bite the bullet and launch a new 10-year development plan for York Hospital and gradually migrate new facilities on to a much bigger operational site - a regional hospital centre of high-tech medical treatment - rather than go for this quick fix proposal submitted for planning approval but with serious future limitations?

Malcolm I Joyce, Scarborough

Think of veterans

NO one who has served their country should be homeless, but our analysis of government data shows that homeless veterans are being missed by local authorities and are losing out on the enhanced support and housing available to them.

We are launching a campaign to tackle this issue and help reduce veterans’ homelessness as close to zero as possible.

The No Homeless Veterans campaign (nohomelessveterans.org.uk) calls on local authorities, homelessness charities and advice agencies to “Think Veteran” in order to identify former servicemen and women and signpost them to the best support available to them.

The fact there are still veterans sleeping in inappropriate accommodation, in hostels and on the streets is unacceptable.

We are fortunate in this country that there is a wide range of independent and government-led organisations that provide specialist support to service leavers.

But it is only by effectively identifying veterans and signposting them to these services, that we will put an end to this tragic situation.

Ed Tytherleigh, co-chairman of the Cobseo (Confederation of Service Charities) Housing Cluster, London