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Back in the classroom

AS SOMEONE whose children were previously taught by Simon Burrell, I can reassure Goddard Park parents that he is a brilliant and inspiring teacher and they are lucky to have him.

They may, perhaps rightly, feel that they should have been told about the offence for which he’s been convicted.

But, having been through the justice process, I can see no reason why he shouldn’t be allowed to teach.

For the Advertiser’s editorial to sanctimoniously infer that he should never been allowed back in a classroom infers that your editors know better than the judge and the school governors combined.

Mr Burrell’s actions have clearly ruined his head teaching career, and he’ll presumably never be back into a position of responsibility again.

Over a couple of years, he’s been tried, and punished.

A further trial by the local newspaper may well give some pompous journalists a short-lived feeling of self-righteous power, but it’s contrary to justice and risks denying many hundreds of children the chance to benefit from his superb teaching skills.

NEIL COWLING

Old Town

Swindon

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Mistrustful conduct

RE: FRAUDSTER teaching under a new name. (Adver 29/4/16).

Simon Burrell, a teacher, is given a suspended prison sentence for a £20,000 fraud and is now teaching at Goddard Park school, with the blessing of the headmaster, Mike Welsh, and the Board of Governors.

Mr Burrell metamorphosed into another teacher – a Mr Gale.

No one informed the parents of the children of Simon Burrell’s past criminal activities.

Thus the deceit would have continued had not someone spotted it on Facebook.

Shame on the headteacher, shame on fraudster Simon Burrell, shame on the board of governors, the so-called moral guardians, who exist surely to uphold the school’s values?

How can anyone trust them after this fiasco?

Mike Welsh and the cowboy board of governors should do the honourable thing and resign.

One wonders what the school’s motto is: ‘Welcome all ye caught with fingers in the till’?

JEFF ADAMS

Bloomsbury

Swindon

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Vote for local plan

I AM bitterly disappointed by the decision of the High Court to refuse Swindon’s legal challenge to the development at Berkeley Farm, Wroughton.

Wroughton’s community has produced a Neighbourhood Plan which sets out how the village can accommodate the housing we need without this unwanted and inappropriate development.

The Planning Inspector for the appeal on the Berkeley Farm gave little weight to the Neighbourhood Plan as it had not yet been examined or been through a referendum.

That was a major reason in his decision to allow this development. The Neighbourhood Plan has now been reviewed by an independent examiner, who has stated that it is sound and recommended that it should now proceed to a referendum.

We know that other developers, who have had applications for building on greenfield sites in the village refused, are about to appeal.

The referendum on the Wroughton Neighbourhood Plan will be on June 9 and I hope Wroughton residents will turn out and vote in support of our Neighbourhood Plan.

It’s our best chance of protecting our village from unwanted development and defeating future planning appeals.

STEVE HARCOURT

Wroughton Parish Council chairman

and member of the Wroughton Plan Working Group

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Argument for the EU

OOPS! Can I say sorry to all your readers, I must be more careful with ‘cut and paste’.

Can I also thank Stephen Thompson for the correction; as they say, more haste, less speed.

As Stephen points out, it should have been Switzerland and Norway, but the message remains the same.

Both these countries are outside the EU but trade with the EU.

However, they pay for this privilege and accept free movement but have no say in any debate; a sort of paid-up associate.

My next comment is quite different. I agree with large parts of Mr Kane’s letter on 30/04/2016.

I agree with his comments re the implications of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). No one should ignore this simple little name. I need not replicate Mr. Kane’s words; if you don’t know about TTIP, his letter is well worth a read.

I think every resident of the UK should be writing to their MP, and MEP, asking what are their views on TTIP, in particular the secrecy surrounding these negotiations.

One has to ask, why the secrecy? I’m sure many will be surprised by the answers.

Mr Kane records the demonstrations in Germany which greeted President Obama, surely this indicated the strength of feeling to these negotiations among the people across Europe?

Is this why Boris bought two water cannons for London?

These negotiations have been ongoing for some time with little or no information given to the people.

So imagine just how long it would take for the UK to negotiate from outside the EU; if it were quick I would be worried.

What would the US Multi-nationals offer this tiny island? Not a lot!

Many readers may think ‘this will not affect me’, believe me and Mr Kane, from the little I’ve heard TTIP will completely change our way of life.

The secrecy of TTIP is only one of the many reasons I believe we are better off arguing from the inside.

In these worldwide US trading negotiations I would rather be a full member of the EU than a paid-up associate, with no say, on the edge.

MIKE SPRY

Mayfield Close

Nythe, Swindon

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Freedom to trade

I HAVE to myth-bust A Hegenbarth (Adver, April 19).

While the UK sells a goodly amount of products to the EU we buy a much greater quantity from the EU, causing a trade imbalance which gives rise to a negative cash flow situation that worsens our balance of payments.

When we leave the EU, trade will continue, it won’t come to a dead stop on June 24.

It is most unlikely that the EU will raise trade barriers as they have far more to lose than the UK has – think German cars.

We may not be able to pick up trade with the Commonwealth or other nations on day one of freedom from the shackles of the EU, but we will be able to commence trade negotiations with whom we like, rather than have to defer to the EU to negotiate.

The chances are, many countries will be beating a path to our door to negotiate trade agreements with the UK as the EU applies unfair tariffs on emerging nations.

What we will be letting ourselves in for if we foolishly vote to stay in, is being tied in to the TIPP arrangements, presently under secret negotiations between the US and the EU, if agreed.

Yes, you have guessed, it will be more favourable to the Americans.

If there are areas that show up later that are not beneficial to them, the US are just as likely to ignore them. Now that is a leap into the dark.

HENRY SMITH

Peatmoor, Swindon

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Help us trace a relative

I HAVE recently married and my husband Nick lost contact with his father more than 40 years ago. Nick’s mum has just died and we have found some letters from his dad written on paper headed Seymour Clinic, Cricklade Road, Swindon.

I have googled a bit and found an article from your paper about a lady called Ann Mooney who was treated at the clinic about the same time as my husband’s father James Moore was there. He could have been a nurse at the time.

The only details I have are from his birth certificate and his marriage certificate to Nick’s mum.

His dad is James Joseph Moore born May 18, 1930 at 107 Rice Lane Liverpool.

James married Romany Pearl Middleditch on November 7, 1960 in the registry office in Samford, East Suffolk.

I know they lived in Milton, Cambridge, in a caravan and later in Kesgrave, in Ipswich.

My husband is Nicholas Bernard Moore and his birthday is January 11.

Do you think anyone could help me to find what happened to my husband’s father?

Jane Moore

via email

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Support pharmacies

THE people of Swindon may be angry, as I am, that the Government is planning to close up to 30,000 of our chemist shops.

The Wroughton pharmacy has a petition for those who oppose this idea and if your local pharmacy has such a petition then I urge Swindonians to consider signing.

Why? Well apart from the disruption this would cause, it is a sign the Government is in a muddle.

Look at the situation. The Government is breaking its promise on providing more doctors and has urged people to make more use of our skilled pharmacists.

At the same time, it is planning close pharmacies. Madness!

CLIVE HOOPER

Maunsell Way, Wroughton

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Not paying their way

IN RESPONSE to AP Milroy’s letter of April 29, perhaps EU immigrants do pay more in taxes than they claim in benefits, but their taxes do not pay for the Government’s cost of them living in Britain.

The study AP Milroy writes about is more than ten years old and does not take into account current costs such as educating children, health costs, housing etc. or the cost of servicing our £1.5tr national debt which amounts to £650 a person a year.

It also does not take into account future costs such as pension or care costs etc.

The average cost to the Government of each of us is £10,000 a year and on the minimum wage of £15,000 tax is £800 and NI £832, so most of us do not pay our way.

ANDREW HERSON

Cheney Manor Road, Swindon