Target Putin where it hurts — in the pocket

Everyone congratulated russia for one of the best World cups ever, even though we all knew it is a ‘corrupt and brutal gangster state, run by a thug (Mail)’.

now everyone is condemning Vladimir Putin after the identities of the Salisbury assassins have been revealed. Why should we be surprised about how bad the russians can be? They’ve been getting away with it for years, so it’s not surprising they think they’re untouchable.

The question is: what should we do about it? i don’t envy the challenge the government has in bringing the Salisbury suspects to justice, because we won’t get any help from the Kremlin.

But you have to stand up to bullies. We should have condemned russia for using chemical weapons in Syria, blowing airliners out of the sky in Ukraine and persecuting minorities.

Military action is not an option, so hit russia in the pocket by targeting Putin’s friends who are buying up most of London. Britain and our allies need to make a stand against Putin.

DAVID WORSNIP, Market Harborough, Leics. The extraordinary level of detail revealed by our security services in following the trail of the two russian assassins made me feel proud, grateful and more secure.

ANDREW WILLS, Epsom, Surrey.

Fishy business

The government has resolved the problem of French fishing boats attacking British vessels legally catching scallops by ignoring the violence and declaring our fishermen will be banned from the fishing grounds!

This lack of backbone explains why the Brexit negotiations are so drawn out.

J. WOOLLEY, Halifax, W. yorks. Britain does a ‘deal’ to end the scallop wars (Mail)? That’s not what i’d call a total capitulation. a. L. OAKES-PHILLIPS,

Melksham, Wilts.

Cap top pay

The average annual salary is £ 27,000, yet chief executives, entertainers and sportspeople get many times that amount.

chris evans is leaving the BBC, where he is reportedly paid £1.6 million a year. That’s the equivalent of 20 doctors or 30 bricklayers! We have a minimum wage, so perhaps it’s time to reconsider a maximum one.

MERVYN WILLIAMS, Huddersfield, W. yorks.

Know our place

i AM glad that reader george Skelly is ‘ all for equality and women’s rights’, but bemused he feels the ‘feminisation of society is going a bit far’ (Letters).

He worries there are several female chief constables — out of 43 police forces — and the chief fire officer for London is a woman when there are 47 fire services. We even have a female Prime Minister — the second in our history.

With such backing, highly qualified and talented women will have no trouble in taking their rightful place in society — in secondary positions to men!

PAT SULLIVAN, Somerton, Somerset.

Who’ll save my son?

NICOLA BACON’S article Who’ll Save My Lovely dad? (Mail) was like reading my son’s story.

For four years, i’ve been told by GPS and hospital doctors that an alcoholic can’t be referred to mental health services until they stop drinking.

My son has been in hospital five times since 2014 and in private rehab clinics at our family’s expense six times. His periods of sobriety get shorter and his relapses more traumatic.

despite psychotic behaviour, seizures and saying he intended to take his life, he was discharged because he’s an alcoholic.

We live on a knife-edge waiting for the next drinking bout, knowing how little help we can expect.

Name and address supplied.

School of hard knocks

i LIVE near an infants’ school and saw a dear little boy in his smart uniform and school bag trotting beside his mother.

However, the mother was on her mobile and didn’t say a word to her son. Perhaps we’ll have a generation of children who are self-assured, but unable to communicate other than by phone.

i do hope she spared the time to give the little chap a kiss at the school gate. i shed a tear for him. B. FARRELL, Portishead, Somerset.

Music to my ears

BBC radio 3 is to devote a slot to relaxing sounds to help people escape the frenzy of modern life (Mail). This brings back happy memories of the months of latenight sound tests before the launch of classic FM.

it was fascinating to tune in to sparrows twittering, mowers cutting lawns, children giggling in a playground, dogs barking in a park and waves on a beach.

So many soporific and restful sounds to flood the memory and aid sleep. i was sad when the music broadcasts started.

DEREK PARKER, Maidstone, Kent.