THE deformities of the little children in the Ukranian orphanages described in your report 'Brave babies live a life of hell' (LET, September 27) are too sad to contemplate. Most are the result of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

In this page a few years ago, a reader asked why I was so against the use of the atom bomb in the Second World War.

It is because of the possibility of it being used in a future war - the effects of which would be comparable to multiplying a million times or more the aftermath of Chernobyl.

Do we need any other reason than protecting the children of tomorrow's world?

F BILLINGTON (Mr), East Crescent, Accrington.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.