ALTHOUGH wholeheartedly agreeing with Tom Mitchell about the pampering and privileges that the modern-day prisoner receives, why does he negate his letter by finishing off with asking for "free TV licences for pensioners over 65"?

What about the younger generation? The 16-year-old school leaver, the 18-year-old college student and the 22-year-old university graduate?

At 16 to get an apprenticeship you must work for next to nothing. At 18 you have minimum wage, after tax you can look at getting not enough to live on, and often with unpaid overtime. At 22 you have built up thousands of pounds of debt trying to better yourself with qualifications, and start work, again for a number of years on little over minimum wage.

A lot of these people can never see a chance of purchasing their own house and half the time it is hard to see where the bread-and-butter money will be coming from.

The world is a dearer place now than it ever has been.

Isn't it time the older generation stopped moaning at what little they're getting, and start wanting for all common folk of any age?

Dave Penn,

Langton Road,

Norton.

Updated: 10:51 Monday, March 20, 2006