I WAS disappointed to read another letter in Your say criticising the European Union and saying Britain would be better off out.

These comments are fed by the constant stream of negative comment in the news. We rarely hear positive information yet there is much more benefit to being in than otherwise.

Many of the standards we have come to accept are the best standards of individual counties put together as requirements for the whole of the European Union.

Drinking water standards, river and bathing water quality and engineering specifications are a few examples.

Britain has definitely been forced to improve the quality of water in its rivers as a result of EU requirements. Some rivers are still to be improved. Many bathing beaches no longer have the signs of raw sewage they had 20 years ago. The River Thames in London is still very polluted but plans are being drawn up to improve it.

Euro codes have replaced or amended the content of British Standards in many cases, bringing together best practice from of the world's most sophisticated areas of knowledge.

Neither is it true to say the EU is undemocratic; its MPs are elected by proportional representation, not first past the post as in England.

I believe, however, that the subject of the constitution is too complex for a referendum. Who can genuinely say they know what positive benefits would come from amendments to the existing series of treaties and agreements?

I believe there are improvement to be made in the EU organisation but none of the problems are sufficiently serious to justify our withdrawal.

Remember the centuries of war between European countries. War is much less likely now we are nearly all in.

Richard Ramsden