Pound plan is a winner

Small and medium-sized businesses employ 58 per cent of the private sector workforce and recent Federation of Small Businesses research shows that for every £1 spent with them 63p was re-spent in the local area.

That compares to 40p in every £1 spent with a larger business.

That shows that a Sheffield Pound could really benefit the city’s economy.

Independent businesses offer creative and distinctive alternatives to clone high streets. We think the Sheffield Pound idea will create a bit of a buzz and enhance the pride we all have in our city.

We look forward to the consultation period when the people of Sheffield can have their say. If we all get behind it, this could be a real boost for Sheffield.

Peter Garbutt

Crookes & Crosspool Green Party

Why are you so unfeeling?

How have we come to a state where we are so unfeeling and derisive of other people’s feelings to comment so publicly on a half-hour programme (Star letter ‘Not a hope in hell’ by Jayne Grayson, March 2)?

The heartbreak of a parent maybe losing their child until they come looking for them at the age of 18 is not something we should gloat about.

Many people need a helping hand in life.

The girl in question is on methadone, which suggests to me she is asking for help and there is lots of help out there.

We are all entitled to our own opinion, but not at the public expense of others and don’t come out with the excuse that you were looking out for the baby’s welfare Jayne, as it was pointed out in the programme that social services were keeping an eye on the situation.

Name and address supplied

by email

Proper work would kill

Pull the other one SC (letters February 27) regarding public servants working hard.

All they have to do is what the government of the day tells them, nothing else.

They’re not low paid and they sit in nice warm buildings.

Sack a public servant and the country doesn’t miss them – money saved.

A proper day’s work would kill them.

It’s a well-known fact – the majority are unemployable.

G Ellison

Hawthorne Avenue, S18

Calls are a real nuisance

Is anybody else sick and tired of nuisance calls?

Two and three times a day I am interrupted by these calls.

I thought a stop had been put on them by OFCOM but obviously not.

It’s always a recorded message to start with, then you are told to press a number to carry on the call, presumably paid for by me.

It’s about time these companies were made in law to put caller details when they ring.

If I make a call my name will appear so whoever I call can either answer or not.

If they want to talk to me, they should have enough manners to speak to me in person.

You have no idea who is calling with all the different numbers – 01405, 0203, 0845.

Are they government, doctors , council you never know until you answer the call and then you get that silent treatment for a few seconds, then the irritating message “I’mm phoning about your PPI.”

If it was a “real” person on the other end you could tell them where to go in no uncertain terms

David Mitchell

by email

Daily read

Greg Chapman complained (March 2) that EB Warris had two letters printed on February 23r

Terry Palmer can beat that, he has a letter published every day.

B Wilkinson,

S10