On approach to the airfield, there wereno signs to the aircraft crew that anything was amiss. Sir: Iraq had not declared war on Kuwait a few hours before our flight

BA149 landed at Kuwait on
2 August 1990 (“BA must pay pounds 2.5m to Gulf hostages”, 16 July).The flight landed at Kuwait at 1.13am. Their efforts have clearly played a pivotal role in many casesand it is very disappointing that Channel 4 have decided to take thiscourse.. Sir: It is ironic that on the day that you printed a report about Channel

4 axing the Trial and Error programme (16 July), the first case that they
involved themselves in, the conviction of Mary Druhan, was overturnedin the Court of Appeal.As junior counsel in the appeal, I would like to make clear that it wasthe investigative journalism undertaken by the Trial and Error team thatuncovered the evidence that was so crucial in the success of Mary Druhan’sappeal. It is not just
the media which likes to portray science as so many arguments.Some science may be consensus driven, but this is like saying cricketis, because the players understand the conditions for one team to win.The clearest illustration of this is the example of Stephen Hawking andKip Thorne, who make wagers on disputed theories.Good science is not done by mavericks or conformists, but by those whocollate and present evidence in a way which would withstand a hostilecounsel and convince a sceptical jury.Scientists who do not consider their case as if it was being reviewedcritically always produce bad science, as in the Pons and Fleischmann”cold fusion” case.. I was told that if I wished to make a complaint a police officer would be sent to my home.
It seems ridiculous that it is not possible for the police to assist when an incident is occurring but is possible to send officers to spend valuable time taking statements..

Sir: “Maverick scientists” may be usually wrong (Lewis Wolpert, 16 July)

but this does not mean that science is not adversarial. The attitude of the lady at the end of the phone was “So what?” I phoned Gainsborough police again later from home and spoke to the duty sergeant. Sir: As I was leaving my local church with my family recently, I remonstrated with a group of youths who had occupied the fire escape Their language and behaviour were appalling. In response they gave vent to a lot of “lip” and then I was spat on.

I used my mobile phone to contact the Gainsborough police, which has a large station just two minutes’ drive from the church. Mr Blair has given so much to this process, and is bound to be discouraged by recent developments.But it is in the very history of Ireland to take three steps forward and one back We have stepped back, but we will move forward We, the Northern Ireland people, will expect nothing less. It is now up to the republicans to convince the sceptics they are serious about peace, and the way to do that is for the IRA to say once and for all, “The war is over.” Then we will get there, get it right, and build a new future for all the people of Northern Ireland.. Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern are to be congratulated on their efforts to build peace in Northern Ireland, and I am deeply grateful to them. Is it unreasonable for the UUP to want to see some evidence of the republicans’ commitment to peace?David Trimble is the most radical leader of Unionism since partition. The people need to see that Sinn Fein is totally committed to, as the Agreement provides, “exclusively peaceful means” before entry to government.Day by day there are beatings, shootings and punishment attacks in Northern Ireland.