ACTRESS Leslie Ash complains about public amusement at the outcome of cosmetic surgery that left her with absurdly pouting lips (December 1).

She compares her predicament to that of Heather Mills, Paul McCartney's wife who had a leg amputated.

How pathetic that a typically vain "showbiz celeb" can seriously try to claim sympathy similar to that for a person using an artificial limb.

Colin S Jeffrey,

East Mount Road, York.

....WHEN I was a teenager, in the 1940s, my father, who had missed his fortnightly trim at the barbers' and was due at a meeting, asked me to make his hair tidy until he had a cut next day.

Reluctantly I obliged, with the help of a pair of scissors. He was not pleased with the result, because it meant he had to keep his trilby hat on throughout the meeting (the lesser of two evils). Nowadays he could have displayed the horrendous spectacle with pride, as do pop stars and other celebrities who appear to have had their hair done courtesy of a child in charge of a pair of hedge shears.

It seems to be the trend to rebel against all forms of tidiness, etiquette and decency. So we have more litter louts. Many don't give their seats for a female or senior citizen and use bad language in their company. It will get worse.

Television can be the most dangerous sort of semi-subliminal education.

Gordon Ross,

Huntington Road, York.

Updated: 11:30 Thursday, December 04, 2003