Firstly, women's naked breasts are not, in the Western world anyway, traditionally a sight for the public gaze. I am aware that many women do their best to flout this tradition, but they are not usually to be found in restaurants. So anyone coming upon this sight – whether attached to a baby or not – and feeling embarrassed, or even affronted, should surely be shown sympathy and consideration, not anger and disgust.
Secondly, the fact that something is "perfectly natural" is not a reason for doing it publicly. I can think of three other bodily functions which are even more 'natural' than breast feeding (more common anyway) and we don't do those in public, do we?
Breast feeding is of course good for babies. So also are peace and quiet, and the right not to be treated as so much luggage, to be carted around wherever mum wishes to go.
My own babies were given their feeds and had their nappies changed in the privacy of their home. If we ever had to be away from home at feed time, I never found it too difficult to find a spot where it could be done discreetly, and would have been very glad to have been offered a "retiring room" by any restaurant manager. No way would I have shown lack of consideration to baby or general public as to perform this function just anywhere.
So, others who think that all the world is your stage, could you just pause and consider that there are many people out there who feel differently, and they might just be right?
I do believe that 'breast is best' for babies and would always encourage mothers to use this method – but not in public please.
I also believe that children should be brought up to consider other people, and there is no better teacher than example.
MRS MARION BANKS, Scarborough

Surely the act of feeding the baby naturally is as natural as the act that produced the baby in the first place. And usually the mother covers herself very discreetly.
The dress mode of most women today show much more bosom than a young women tending to her baby – so why should some people be so offended by the act of mother love?
OLGA TWIST, Whinmoor, Leeds

If I dare, as a male, I'd like to throw my two-pennorth into this debate.
Anyone who has children will know that it can take some time for both Mother and baby to settle into a routine so regular feeding times particularly for a new-born, are not always an option.
It seems to me that breast feeding is the most natural act a mother can perform so if she is not embarrassed or uncomfortable about doing this in public then why should anyone else be? There are obvious times when this would not be appropriate, travelling on a bus for example, but otherwise I think generally speaking Joe Public should mind his/her own business.
Whilst on the subject, Mothers in Garforth/Kippax/Swillington and surrounding areas might like to know that last week I attended the launch of the Garforth Baby Cafe where mums can now meet on a regular weekly basis to get practical advice; meet other mums and perform what should be the perfectly natural and necessary act of feeding their babies in a relaxed atmosphere, among friends.
The cafe meets every Tuesday at St.Benedict's Church Hall, Garforth, 10-11:30am
Coun Mark Phillips, Garforth and Swillington Ward

Community ignored in plan for Moor
Coun Kabeer Hussain's reply to Bill McKinnon ('Consultation pledge on park', Letters, April 7) regarding the proposals for a car park on part of Woodhouse Moor, fails to recognise that community consultation and objections and comments on a planning application are not the same thing at all.
Anyone familiar with the planning process knows that only certain comments can be considered relevant under planning law. The government's new planning act (2004) publicly advertised at great length by the City Council (as the Leeds Statement of Community Involvement) at the end of last year, recognises the fact and insists that community consultation take place before planning application is made.
Bill McKinnon was writing on behalf of the Friends of Woodhouse Moor, a consortium of six residents' groups surrounding Woodhouse Moor. If Coun Hussain is sincere about wanting to hear and take on board our views about a car park on Monument Moor, as our local councillor and a lead member of the council, he should press for the planning application to be withdrawn until proper community consultation has taken place.
The Rainbow Alliance in charge of Leeds City Council is led by the Liberal Democrats (a party which has always prided itself on its support for community involvement) and includes the Greens (who surely cannot be in favour of using £170,341 of Parks Renaissance money to cover Monument Moor, a designated green space, with tarmac for a car park?). It is time for these parties to stick to their principles.
As it is, the first local people heard of the plan was from your newspaper and a car park is not a green project. No matter how many trees and bushes are put in it, a car park is still a car park.
FREDA MATTHEWS, Chair of Little Woodhouse Community Association, on behalf of the Friends of Woodhouse Moor, Hanover Square, Leeds


'Undisciplined' Harris attacked
Your article suggesting Labour 'showed cowardice' (YEP, April 7) must be firmly rebutted. This is entirely untrue.
What actually happened is that Coun Harris, a very experienced councillor for more than 20 years, made such a hash of his resolution regarding pensions that he left the most Senior Legal Officer with no choice but to advise members that they had a prejudicial (and pecuniary) interest. Some 90 out of 99 councillors could not partake in the debate – and guess what, Coun Harris was one of them!
Instead of doing the decent thing and bringing back a fresh resolution at the next meeting of council; the Lib Dem, Conservative and Green coalition pushed through an amendment 'legalising' their resolution.
This was done in the middle of the council meeting and gave absolutely no opportunity for the Labour Group to put forward an amendment. We therefore did not partake in the debate.
Prejudicial interests, to those readers who are not familiar with the phrase, can land a councillor in big trouble. Legal advice is always is given for each and every councillor to consider themselves whether or not they have to declare such an interest. If we get it wrong we can be called before the National Standards Board of England and, in the worst case, suspended or stripped of our office. In those circumstances Coun Harris's behaviour was frankly disgraceful, undisciplined and selfish.
Coun Peter Gruen, Chief Whip of the Labour Group


True democracy
It is of great irony that Mr Sinnett (Letters, April 11`) claims to represent the views of the the majority of the public when he discusses our democratic right. If he truly believed in democracy he would understand that only those who have been elected have the right to represent the views of the public.
Jonathan Roberts, Thirsk

Why the panic over bird flu?
Why are there so many hysterical warnings, mainly emanating from the media, about the dangers of 'bird flu' spreading around the world and resulting in the death of millions?
I believe, so far, that approximately 108 people world wide have died from this disease, and most of them were directly connected with handling birds.
If this virus does mutate to be able to be spread from one human to another, would not the mutation weaken the virus and therefore make it less deadly?
We have heard of food shortages and goodness knows what else, as a result of this so-called pandemic. I think the public is being unnecessarily panicked by these dire warnings.
E.D. Davis (Mrs.) e-mail

Strange...
There appears to be strange happenings within Leeds City Council. There are potholes in roads, but we are told that they do not exist as they were not there when the road was last inspected.
Now we read about the double yellow lines that are not there, but we are told that they do exist, because they were there when the road was last inspected. We are led to believe that Leeds City Council exists, but is it really there?
S Sheehan, Oakwell Mount, Leeds

Sky-high cost
I read that new elevators have been fitted in three blocks of flats for £900,000. What a rip-off. Nearly a million pounds just to replace a small section of the massive blocks. North East Leeds Homes are pleased with the quality of the new lifts and so they should be at that price. But as they are in arrears by a million or two, they need to tighten their purse strings don't they?
G Wakefield, Button Hill, Leeds

Armley left out
Martin Driver, PR Manager at Metro, made a claim that level boarding was available to passengers of all ages throughout West Yorkshire (Letters, April 8). Metro and Leeds City Council have introduced raised kerbs and yellow lines at bus stops. Could he explain why this initiative has not reached Armley? I have yet to see these so called raised kerbs any where in our area.
John Selby, e-mail