It is usually interesting following correspondence between 2 or more readers on a single subject and the recent letters on the EU from Messrs Parr and Thomas are no exception. Unfortunately they have both fallen into the trap of exchanging statistics masquerading as facts to support their opposing views.

As we all know to our cost statistics particularly Government statistics are to say the least suspect.

Surely the only "fact" that matters to us is the one concerning the relevance of the EU. Do we need to be told how to recycle our rubbish, how to label our foods or medicines, how to do this and that down to the very minutiae of our daily lives? The answer surely is a resounding NO! We know how to do these things ourselves in our own way.

As usual the pro-European union argument revolves around trade and how important membership of the EU is for it to continue. Do they think that the hard headed business men of Italy, France, Germany and Spain are going to stop trading with us simply because we do not want to remain in their club. I think not in view of the size and importance of the UK market.

The European Union is remote, corrupt, undemocratic and most importantly of all entirely irrelevant, except of course for those bureaucrats and politicians who have taken the original dream concept of a free-trading group of nation states and turned it into a nightmare particularly for the rest of us who, of course, have to pick up the bill.

Incidentally I did not detect any evidence in Mr Parr's correspondence which would lead me to believe he was right wing whatever that is supposed to mean. Mr Thomas should apologise for such a suggestion. It would appear from his tone that he isn't old enough to have voted in the referendum on EEC membership in 1975 in which we were assured there would be no loss of sovereignty.

What we need is a national political party that will clearly make its policy to get us out of this morass of unnecessary red tape before it is too late.

C W Davies, Blacksmiths Lane, South Littleton.