THE decline in UK industry and increased reliance on imports was highlighted by two pieces in The Press of July 27: 1. Ready for winter (page 4) – Government to import 250,000 tonnes of road salt 2. Bridge swinging back into action – parts ordered from Italy. It is a shame that both items need to be imported rather than produced in the UK. I believe there are salt mines producing rock salt as near as Cleveland and Cheshire.

The decline in UK industry and innovation is further highlighted by the number of European patents filed and published each year, the UK being considerably below the number of patent applications filed by German companies.

James Hodgson, Bishopthorpe Road, York.

• IS IT not a matter of embarrassment, not to say humiliation, that a country with the engineering pedigree of Britain has to wait for parts from Italy to get the Whitby swing bridge operating again?

David F Daniells, Paradise Field, Easingwold, York.