THE Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, and the Archbishop of Canterbury are to lead thousands of pilgrims on a march through London on March 24, to repent for the Church of England's complicity in the slave trade.

The event will celebrate the bicentenary of its abolition.

I find this expression of guilt quite nauseating. No one living in the UK in 2007 has any responsibility for the actions of those living in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Some institutions, such as the Church of England or English Heritage, might have benefited from the slave trade.

But many people also benefited from the exploitation of the working classes during the Industrial Revolution, which amounted to slave labour. No one ever apologises for that.

Should present day Scandin-avians apologise for their raping and pillaging in the 8th century?

Should the descendents of William the Conqueror put on sackcloth and ashes to atone for the harrying of the north in the 11th century?

Has Dr Sentamu invited any Muslim or African community leader to join the march, to apologise for their past participation in the slave trade?

Arabs and Africans traded slaves long before and long after we abolished it.

Moreover, Africans and Asians are still importing child slave labour into England, as reported by Expat UK, which is a reputable coalition of child charities.

We have had to endure the many dewy-eyed apologies of Tony Blair for events in which he was not involved.

Why does he not apologise for the many sins for which he is responsible, especially for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people in Iraq?

Carol Tucker, Hillside Gardens, Highgate, London.