Letter: Grown-up who's afraid of the dark

YOU just can't beat politicians for confusing pompousness with concern. So it is with James Kelly, Labour's Scottish shadow minister for community safety, distraught at the possibility of moving UK time forward one hour. (Drumlanrig, 15 August).

"Scotland," he threatens, "will be quite literally left in the dark!" Some kind colleague might explain to him that it would be for only an hour longer in the morning, balanced by an hour less in the evening. Adjusting street lighting-up times similarly would be sufficient to ease his dread of children being slaughtered on the way to school.

In similar circumstances some 40 years ago, Edinburgh schools allowed pupils to arrive any time up to 9.30. Many were regularly in playgrounds soon after eight o'clock in all weathers.

Robert Dow, Tranent