ANYONE who heard BBC File On Four (July 10) can have been left in no doubt that the EU is an utterly useless and corrupt organisation and that our ever joining it was consummate folly.

What the programme made abundantly clear was that the net contributors, chiefly Britain and Germany, were being fleeced by the rest and that the EU is a cesspit of crime and corruption.

Neil Kinnock tried to justify the Commission's failing to put a stop to the embezzling and theft (and his £140,000 salary plus expenses and perks) by protesting that the Commission could not act until it had proof of malpractice; by that time the crooks had usually ridden off into the sunset -- with our money. Of course, asking the Commissioners to stop the corrupt practices is like asking the fox to guard the henhouse.

Neil did admit, however, that as more poverty-stricken states batten on to the EU gravy train the potential for fraud will multiply itself grossly and, of course, no country that is likely to be a net contributor will be even mildly interested in joining; every new member will be a liability, and cost us more and more. No one can now argue the case for Britain's remaining in the EU --not even the Lib Dems. We ought to get out at once. Deprived of our immense financial support the rotten-to-the-core EU would fall like a house of cards.

N G Charnley, Chesterfield Road, Blackpool.