JOHN Kelly must be very petty-minded to complain (Oxford Mail, November 29) that the Lord Mayor rode to repatriation ceremonies on a bicycle and wore “scruffy” clothes.

The Lord Mayor saves constituents’ money by cycling instead of using the mayoral car, and what she wears is surely a matter for her to decide.

Perhaps the soldiers fighting in the trenches in two world wars or in Afghanistan didn’t manage to avoid their clothes getting “scruffy”.

We are often told that the armed forces fight wars to protect our freedom, but apparently this doesn’t mean that people are free to attend repatriation ceremonies, or not, as they see fit.

I would ask Mr Kelly what he has done to campaign against our troops being sent to Afghanistan in the first place.

Hundreds of allied troops and numerous Afghan civilians have been killed in this pointless war which should never have been allowed to happen. Hundreds of families would be happier today if they had not lost their loved ones in this unnecessary war.

TONY AUGARDE Carlton Road Oxford