Just for show

ReADING Richard littlejohn’s article on emergency services failures after the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing (Mail) made me think how different things used to be.

I’m 79 now but I spent my working life as a plant fitter, dealing with cranes and other heavy plant. Part of the job was erecting and dismantling tower cranes, which had to be done quickly. We were working at height and, as we were constantly moving, we didn’t tie ourselves on at all.

One day the safety officer gave us each a totally inadequate safety belt that was just an encumbrance.

I told him it would only hinder us and his reply was: ‘I don’t give a s*** if any of you hit the ground, as long as you’re wearing one of these when you do.’

MAC McCALLUM, Eastbourne, E. Sussex. The main reason why 22 people died and more than a thousand were injured in the Manchester bombing was not the response from emergency services, but the diabolical security.

It beggars belief that a man carrying a huge rucksack was allowed to enter the venue.

ANDREW BURTENSHAW, Twickenham, Middx.