I WALKED from Sauchiehall street, Buchanan Street to Argyle Street and decided to count the empty shops, people busking, people homeless, the black bags left, the amount of large bins in the in the street , unused telephone boxes and people asking for money.

This is what I estimated I saw: 35 empty shops, 22 people busking, 13 people lying in shop fronts homeless, 33 people begging for money, 30 black bin bags to be picked up, 16 unused telephone boxes and 42 large bins lying in the street to be picked up or used for waste disposal.

We need bold new leadership and bold new ideas to tackle the problems facing Glasgow city centre.

Name and address withheld

Empty promises

I READ in the Evening Times that Nicola sturgeon has said that there is “ no rational reason” for the UK ( a UK that Scotland voted to remain part of) to block a second referendum. (April 1).

I think that Nicola should resign because in my opinion she and the SNP have become a liability to Scotland.

Let’s say they get another referendum, what are they going to promise? Will they promise that if Scotland becomes independent that we will be able to still use sterling as our currency, that we will be able to keep trading with the rest of the UK, I do not think so.

What I think will happen is if Scotland becomes independent and we re-join the European union (even if we can) we will have to use the Euro, we will not be able to trade with anybody outside Europe without Brussels say so, so in effect getting our independence from Westminster then submitting to Europe.

Jim Tees, via email

Call this justice?

WHERE do the courts get these Sheriffs?

A Hibs supporter, who took part in large scale mayhem which could have resulted in a mass riot and attacked Rangers’ captain Lee Wallace, gets to keep his freedom. (Evening Times April 1).

In another piece, a man who spat blood at a police officer and assaulted him by punching him also keeps his freedom.

The courts aren’t sending out the correct message to these thugs .

Lock them up instead of tagging and all the other soft options.

Billy McVitie, Tollcross Rd

Awful impression

READING about the nautical themed hotel plan (Evening Times April 3), sorry but the artists impression looks awful.

Richard Davis, posted online