BBC News has spent a fair bit of time recently covering stories about hordes of Scottish football fans gathering in London, many without tickets. We have seen footage of coaches, trains and aircraft packed with screaming fans. Massive crowds gathered in public places without any social distancing and mostly without masks. This is all reported in a very gleeful manner by smiling newsreaders which seems to me to condone these breaches of Covid law.

Throughout these reports there has not been a single comment about the lack of adherence to Covid rules. When football mania takes over all the rules are completely disregarded. It appears that no one in any position of authority has the courage to speak out against this flagrant rule-breaking. Meanwhile I continue to sacrifice my social life. I refuse invitations to have a pint with my pals as that would break the three-household limit imposed in my level two area. I am seriously beginning to wonder why I bother sticking to the rules when all around they are blatantly ignored without apparent sanction.

David Clark, Tarbolton.

THE HYPOCRISY IS BREATHTAKING

IT is not hard to imagine what have might have happened had the England v Scotland football match been played in Glasgow. We would have had a First Minister wringing her hands in fury at potential English supporters daring to cross the Border and travelling to Scotland without a ticket to the match. Threats to close the Border, fines and robust policing would have been the order of the day. She would have advised the UK Prime Minister to get a grip and stop all trains, planes and automobiles travelling to Scotland.

Instead and having undoubtedly witnessed the scenes of Scottish football supporters wilfully ignoring any rules and chanting anti- English nationalist drivel, she grins and advises supporters to be good, observe the rules and be on your best behaviour even though the majority have travelled without a match ticket. Her hypocrisy is breathtaking.

Richard Allison, Edinburgh.

OUR LIBERTIES HAVE SUFFERED ENOUGH

NICOLA Sturgeon has announced that it will be "illegal" from Monday for Scots to travel to Manchester or Salford for "non-essential" reasons. This is the pass that we have come to: one woman can tell five million of us that we will break the law if we travel to these English cities.

Does she have the power to impose penalties on miscreants? I hope not. Our civil liberties have suffered enough in this pandemic as it is. I note that at the time of writing she has said little about the thousands of Scots who have travelled to London for a football match. The televised scenes of them showed scant regard for social distancing. But then it seems that football is an essential reason for travel. Obviously.

Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh.

* AM I alone in being ashamed at the way the majority of these supporters represent our country? I am also ashamed and disgusted by the way BBC Scotland’s presentations of Scotland’s matches have reduced everything to the lowest common denominator.

James Rait, Kilconquhar.

DO LOCKDOWNS REALLY WORK?

RM Morris (Letters, June 16) claims that recent literature published in The Lancet shows “unequivocally” that lockdowns work. But he ought to know that there is no such thing as an exact science. There are many studies that cast doubt on the efficacy of lockdowns. For example, in December a Korean team led by S Hong published a study which says that, except for school closures and contact tracing, all non-clinical Covid measures “are proven to be statistically insignificant or even have a negative impact”.

And a Stanford team led by E Bendavid published a paper in January which says “there is no evidence that more restrictive nonpharmaceutical interventions ('lockdowns') contributed substantially to bending the curve of new cases in England, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain or the US in early 2020”.

Geoff Moore, Alness.

POSITIVE MINDSET ON DEMENTIA

I NOTE that Lisbon Lion Bertie Auld is "suffering" from dementia ("Lisbon Lion Bertie Auld becomes the latest ex-player to face dementia battle", The Herald, June 18). It is appropriate that we should think of him and his family at this time as they come to terms with this diagnosis. It also highlights the need for the research led by Glasgow University to be brought to our attention.The study found a possible link between heading footballs and a later diagnosis of dementia. That research led the SFA to recommend that children under 12 should not head footballs.

As we rightly think of Bertie and the other football players who have been diagnosed with this disease I always try to be positive and think in terms of people who are living with, rather than suffering from, dementia.

Ron Lavalette, Ardrossan.

THE DEBT WE OWE JACK MCCONELL

THE late former Labour Prime Minister Jim Callaghan was once asked what he thought his greatest achievement had been. In response, he declined to mention his service in the Great Offices of State (PM, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Foreign Secretary) and instead referred to his time as junior transport minister in the Attlee Government when he had introduced cat's-eyes to Britain’s roads and thereby saved countless lives.

Scottish Labour can look back in the same way. Was its greatest achievement at Holyrood free elderly care? Or free bus passes for all over-60s? Or even saving Scotland from the ruin of independence in 2014?

No, it was the smoking ban, introduced by First Minister Jack McConnell and Health Minister Andy Kerr. Scotland owes them a great debt.

Peter A Russell, Glasgow.

CHERISH TREASURES WE HAVE LEFT

I ENTIRELY agree with Gordon Casely's comments about Pollokshaws in general and the Sir John Maxwell School in particular (Letters, June 17). My husband and my grandfather were both born in Pollokshaws, and my husband was a pupil at Sir John Maxwell's in the 1950s. While there is no doubt that some of Pollokshaws's tenement housing was unfit for occupation and had to go, the area could have been sympathetically developed; instead, most of it was razed to the ground, its unique character completely obliterated. George Rountree's books, Old Pollokshaws and Bygone Pollokshaws, are faithful illustrations of Pollokshaws before the demolishers arrived.

Past administrations in Glasgow have lost us many beautiful buildings and not only in Pollokshaws; the gothic splendour of the Christian Institute/YMCA in Bothwell Street, Renfield Street church and perhaps the worst loss of all, St Enoch's station, all spring to mind. What we have lost can never be replaced, but they should stand as reminders to cherish all we have left. Schools are particularly poignant, their walls enclosing memories of generations of children, and it is to be fervently hoped that Sir John Maxwell's handsome school will eventually be saved as a tribute to past generations and given the opportunity to serve future generations of the historic community of Pollokshaws.

Ruth Marr, Stirling.

* HOW surreal it was to see your “Look out, men at work” image in Thursday’s Remember when ... feature (The Herald, June 17).

1946 was the year; and 17 years earlier – March 30, 1929 – a catastrophic fire had sadly, spelled doom for Victoria UF Church, on the bungalow site opposite the camera. Alas, not even the tall steeple was saved, in memory. The church had graced the gushet here, from around 1865; the Rev Alexander Cumming travelling from his home at Elmbank Crescent. A little bit of the West End, here, at this southside junction; and yet another perspective on Eglinton Toll.

Brian D Henderson, Glasgow.

BE SLOW TO ANGER

NEIL Mackay's excellent article ("Johnson and his media cheerleaders created the culture war ... God help us", The Herald, June 17) gives a comprehensive summary of some of the current hate-filled problems in our society. I agree that many factors are to blame, but I suggest a solution may lie in the last phrase of the article's headline.

There's an excellent piece of advice in the Bible (James 1: 19-20) that I wish I had followed on many occasions: "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, because human anger doesn't produce the righteousness that God desires." If I had, I wouldn't have had to apologise to lots of loved ones for hasty, hurtful comments that I've made.

I think we may all be to blame at some level for trying to push our own agenda at all costs, whether in relatively trivial issues, or those of national importance.

William Campbell, Lenzie.

LOVE THE MIDGE? NEVER...

WHEN one reads that the number of midges looking for a "blood meal" over the summer will be around 21 billion, I have to say that there are many, I am sure, who will find it difficult to accept that the midge is deserving of their affection and goodwill ("Feel the buzz: Expert tells why we must learn to love the midge", The Herald, June 18). Those who react badly to midge bites– and there are many – with sore swellings and other kinds of after-effects will particularly find it difficult to accept such an invitation.

I believe that it is more likely that most people will continue to look for a comprehensive solution to be found to the midge problem rather than to encourage its survival. It is surprising the amount of discomfort these tiny creatures can wreak on the human body during their short lifespan of between two days and two weeks depending upon weather conditions.

A cautionary tale for gentlemen to end – be careful where you wear your kilt when these little terrors are in the neighbourhood and in the mood for biting.

Ian W Thomson, Lenzie.

TURNING ON BUT NOT TUNING IN

I CONGRATULATE Douglas Cowe (Letters, June 18) for solving the paradox of Schrödinger’s cat by simultaneously listening and not listening to Off the Ball. I can well understand his astonishment at this remarkable achievement.

Grant McKechnie, Glasgow.

Read more: Why do we tolerate this attack on our fundamental rights?