IN reply to Money can't buy you love' (Letters, December 27), families with children, whether two or one-parent, whether in work or not, have the lowest income-per-capita of their particular social strata.

And most of that family income is spent on the children, often at great lifestyle sacrifice from the parents.

So why the complaints over Christmas presents for children? Surely Christmas is for no-one if not children?

Why not complain about the constant hedonistic expenditure on cigarettes, alcohol, clubbing etc?

Singles would be the first to tell you to mind your own business. In any case if they stopped spending it would put plenty of people out of a job.

In fact, it would be interesting to find out just how much our economy itself depends on the spirit of Christmas just to keep going!

Why don't we just for once take the radical step of allowing parents the right to choose without outside carping and Big Brother looking over their shoulder?

We should give them the benefit of the doubt in having, in general, the best intentions in the world for their own children. M KEILTY Clydebank Open Square to taxpayers

Surely Glasgow City Council is not going to take on the upkeep of the park in Blythswood Square at taxpayers' expense?

This was raised almost two years ago and I, through the Evening Times, made the point that if the taxpayer footed the bill for the upkeep then the citizens of Glasgow should have access to the square. This of course was the end of it, until now.

By all means let the council maintain the green, but invoice the owners who can afford it more than the taxpayer. F M K East Kilbride Bring back conductors

Like M Caven in East Kilbride (December 27), I agree public safety on buses and trains is being sacrificed in the name of profit.

Without the public travelling on its hyped-up and expensive services, First Buses wouldn't be able to line its pockets the way in which it does at present. Perhaps, if as on the trains, a conductor, or security guard was invested in for night services and routes which presented as a risk to other passengers, we would see more people use buses.

Conductors are the only way in which buses will be made safer. The drivers don't have the means to prevent drunk or violent passengers boarding. JILL FERGUSON Partick

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Email your views to us here. Time to hammer the neds

Under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act, pet owners who dump animals given as unwanted Christmas presents could face six months in jail and fined up to £5000.

If the animal suffers, then the owner could be jailed for a year and fined £20,000.

Meanwhile, crime on our streets and against our citizens is out of control and physical violence is routine.

Pensioners are afraid to go out for fear of being mugged. Random "happy slapping" attacks take place just for kicks. Hoodies roam the streets in gangs, stealing and looking for trouble. Criminals have no fear of using violence in furtherance of their criminal activities.

So why do the majority of these people only get a rap on the knuckles by way of a warning, a suspended sentence, a community order, or heaven forbid, that fearsome Asbo?

I suggest human victims also need protection, and a year in jail and a £20,000 fine might just work where the softly softly approach has dismally failed. C CROSS Linlithgow WRITE: Evening Times, 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow G2 3QB. Please include your name and address. E-MAIL: letters@eveningtimes.co.uk Please include postal address. TEXT: key in the word 'etletters', leave a space then send your comments to 88010. Max 160 characters. Please include your name or initials and where you're from. Texts cost 25p at all times.