BOB NORTH, of Shadycombe Road, Salcombe, writes:

The writer of last week's letter 'privatisation will not affect service' must have been living on another planet for the last 35 years.

We all know to our cost, through numerous examples that privatisation means inferior services at higher cost, together with lower pay and reduced rights and conditions for employees.

In the run up to the privatisation of the Royal Mail we have seen postal charges doubled. Pension liabilities have been removed from the equation and the Royal Mail privatisation follows the usual pattern we will see state financed redundancy followed by re-hiring at lower wages along with a reduced service.

When the writer proclaims the success of Rolls Royce, he needs to check his facts.

Founded in 1904, Rolls Royce was rescued in 1971 by nationalization before being re-privatised in 1987, once having recovered.