THERE is much in what Marianne Taylor says with which I agree (“March on the Tories, not the BBC, over free TV licences”, The Herald, March 17), but I need to know the source of the statistics which show that pensioners have had an increase in their disposable income of circa 60 per cent in the last 12 years. Speaking for myself, although I wonder how many other pensioners are in the same position, I reached retirement age just when the banks, using policies encouraged by governments, crashed the financial system.

My pension fund dropped by 45 per cent and the following reduction in the bank base rate helped not at all. Had I not been retained as a consultant by my employer for the next six years, allowing my reduced fund to recover some of its loss, I would probably be in the pension credit income group. Additionally, the annuity purchasing capability of my still-reduced pot of pension money is still way short of where I thought it would be.

I wonder why the BBC cannot look at a graduated system where those who can pay more than the present fee do so, with amounts reducing to free for all levels of society who are straining with the present income/cost of living equation.

Ian Gray, Croftamie.

Prestwick scare

MY abiding memory of Prestwick Airport (“Prestwick Airport sale could be pushed through in a few months”, The Herald, June 18, and Letters, June 17 & 18) was of when there were traffic lights on the main road to allow traffic to cross from Monkton to Prestwick and beyond. My father was taking us on a wee trip to Ayr in my grandfather’s MG saloon car and must have ignored or missed the lights. I then remember screams from my mother as an airplane, either landing or taking off, passed fairly close over the car roof. Not such a strange roadway arrangement, as I believe that until only the last couple of years Gibraltar had the same set-up.

George Dale, Beith.

READING GR Weir’s letter June 18) anent Prestwick, reminds me of going on a Sunday School trip (are they still held?). I was one of the teachers. Concorde was advertised as visiting Prestwick, so it was arranged to coincide our trip with this momentous event. Fairground activities were also at the airport that day, and while the teachers were agog watching Concorde land and then take off again, the young people, who we thought would be fascinated, were more interested in the fairs, and we came home in a bus awash with water leaking from plastic bags containing goldfish.

Wylma Dunbar, Blanefield.

Scam warning

I WRITE to advise your readers of what appears to be an opening gambit in a scamming operation.

I received a telephone call, 16.50 on June 17 and without the establishment of identity, on both sides, I received a pre-recorded message as follows: “An arrest warrant has been issued against you by HM Revenue & Customs. To speak with the responsible officer, press 1”.

I held for another 10 seconds and replaced the receiver. At no time did I speak. I then dialled 1471 to be advised that I had received a call from 02840-041-110. I then dialled this number only to be told that the number had not been recognised. One has to assume a scam.

What makes it so bizarre is that I was a commissioned officer of Customs and Excise from 1958 to 1980.

Robert TR Hailstones, Millport.

Bristling...

READING about the furniture maker being told to stop broom sweeping ("Furniture maker claims he has been told to stop broom sweeping", the Herald, June 18) makes me wonder if the Health and Safety Executive is as daft as a brush.

Michael Watson, Glasgow G73.