John Thomas Bowden, a prisoner at Noranside, near Forfar, was on temporary release last Thursday but failed to return to the open establishment at the required time.

Not only did the news of his escape remain unpublicised for 24 hours, we are also told not to approach him if seen.

Did the authorities initially hope that he would be recaptured without cause to alert the public, thus hushing up yet another error of judgement?

Also, why is someone who is considered too dangerous to approach even being considered for parole in the first place? — S. B.

I was there with my granddaughter to fish for minnows but there were no fish and the water looked filthy and oily. — Fed Up Grandmother.

1. Where is the money coming from to pay the £26,000 fine?

2. Is any employee of Angus Council facing disciplinary action following the ruling? If not, why?

3. What safeguards are now in position to help avoid a recurrence of this behaviour?

4. Can Angus Council be sure they have the best person for the Head of Housing post? — Angus Taxpayer.

[A spokesperson for Angus Council said, “As previously stated Angus Council entirely refutes the tribunal’s findings and is currently considering the judgment to determine whether it will appeal the tribunal’s decision.”]

The idea that we should congratulate Jim McGovern because he put pressure on the PM to abolish the 10p tax is agonising. Thanks to Mr McGovern and Gordon Brown both my wife and I are worse off.

They didn’t act because they thought it was the right thing to do. They acted because they feared losing their jobs and all the perks that go with it. Many people I know will never vote Labour again and who can blame them. — Political Connoisseur.

Tests of the surface have been carried out (these are more rigorous than those carried out during the council’s local programme) and the results indicate it is okay. A further visual inspection shows no signs of a problem.

Everyone acknowledges there is a problem but at present no one can accurately pinpoint why this had occurred.

The situation will be monitored until the end of June when further tests will be carried out.

One possible cause of the problem is that the filled in area is a different surface to that of the existing carriageway and if this is found to be the case then a surface dressing could be put on to this carriageway in order to allow the traffic to travel on a more uniform surface.

If, after the monitoring period, the road surface improves and is running smoothly, then no further action would be required.

I understand the frustration that drivers feel when road surfaces are running like this but Broughty Commuter can rest assured that it is being looked into and remedial action will be taken as necessary. — Councillor Will Dawson.

Yellow lines exist for a specific reason. If drivers with blue badges, or anyone else for that matter, are permitted to park on them, then what’s the point in having them in the first place? — S. M. T.

The passenger afternoon service was removed in January 1951 between Newtyle and Alyth Junction, the loss of this service effectively closed the line between Newtyle and Alyth Junction to passengers, but the railway continued to be used for goods transport with the remaining links up until December 6, 1965. — Donald Suttie, Rockwellmedia, Dundee.

A dog does bark and he will only bark if someone comes by my door or up my drive.

I have monitored my dog and it does not bark continuously like this person says. It’s very disappointing. — Dog Lover, Durris Loan.

I’ve done nothing but clean bird mess from my car, clothes, windows and doors of my house, and even the streets are covered in it. — Reader, Dundee.

Look around any good neighbourhood and most of the houses will be bought. If sold, they don’t go back into the housing stock. — Another Side To Things.