TWO articles in the Daily Echo caused me to grit my teeth. In an earlier issue there were two "generous business men'' who wanted to put an iconic statue with the Spitfire's nose in the ground (my father would turn in his grave).

It appeared to be copying the rusty looking Angel of the North.

In fact this structure only caused a gasp of disbelief because the song "any old iron'' came to mind.

Encouragement should be given to the Southampton University students to put their skill together and present a design, together with their engineering ability.

Needless to say we, the public, should choose, with the council's wise authoritive body, to oversee the result.

My second concern was the article by Gareth Lewis, Business Editor, dated April 8 referring to a Port Visiting Centre which was shelved by Carnival, and an ideal area would be a developed Royal Pier area. Please don't let it be the Mayflower Park. Have the council other plans they are not telling us?

At the moment it appears a demolition gang has laid it to waste and is becoming a car park. It is dangerous and is looking disgaceful, but then it is the only public piece of land left that can be turned into a money making machine.

J. MOORBY, Southampton.