Letter: Firefighters need compensation

From Mr W J Walsh

Sir: Two items in today's paper (2 March) perfectly demonstrate the injustice and double standards applying to people at work in Britain. On the front page we learn that the heroic firefighters who lost their lives recently will, in the case of Fleur Lombard's relatives, receive pounds 950 for the loss of her life and in the case of the dependants of Kevin Lane - nothing at all.

On the business pages we learn that Lord Young of Graffham, who lost his job after a tiff with one of his colleagues and who had no formal contract with his ex-company Cable & Wireless, is considering accepting pounds 2.4m in compensation.

Am I alone in thinking that the pounds 2.4m would be a more appropriate compensation for the loss of the firefighters' lives, and pounds 950 a more fitting parting gift to Lord Young?

Yours sincerely,

W J Walsh

Brede,

East Sussex