What is done cannot be undone, let us stop this now and address a very real national problem

In the 20th Century the United Kingdom helped rid Europe of Fascism, initially going to the aid of our friends in Poland, and I have visited Westerplatte and Auschwitz.

We pushed for, and helped create, the United Nations and the European Court of Human Rights, in the 1990s our troops helped two predominantly Muslim European Nations, Kosovo and Bosnia, free themselves from their predominantly Christian oppressors.

Of these achievements I am proud, but I am anything but proud of my nation in recent times. All the bickering and name calling surrounding the Referendum are worthless — what is done cannot be undone, let us stop this now and address a very real national problem.

We witnessed the death of Jo Cox and now we are reading in our mainstream media and online of the significant rise in hate crime which is now, apparently, even infecting our schools. The rise of the far right is, I understand, happening across Europe, not just here. Our parents and grandparents fought a war against these people — different generation, different nationality, different language, same people — and I do sincerely believe that we owe it to them to ensure that this cancer does not take root in and infect our society today. I do hope that this is a temporary blip, and that all will be well, and unless it is bubbling under the surface does not appear to have made any significant impact on our wonderful town - yet. But please may we all guard against it and have the courage and bravery to speak out against it if it should show it's ugly head here.

Dave Carter

Campbell Street

Farnworth