Reinstate Mr Protano immediately! It is obvious he has done nothing wrong. It is obvious he has been made the subject of a spurious complaint.

What are we coming to? imagine the uproar if we defaced a religious icon or figure of religious importance to the muslim community, this would be classed as an act of war! I'm sorry but you were in a multi religion prayer room, please have respect for the other religions that go in there and DO NOT remove or cover up the icons or crosses. I am not a religious person but this really did get my goat! its just another case of we can do what we want where we want because we are muslims, and if we get questioned about it we will just quote "is it cos we are muslims"?

Crusade anyone?

Ann Thompson states "imagine the uproar if we defaced a religious icon or figure of religious importance to the muslim community" Never mind defacing an icon, we saw what happend when a bunch of their own kids called a teddy muhammed. I don't care about upsetting touchy people anymore, I think I will buy a golly and call him allah.

Course it isn't, we are in a Christian country, it is more the Muslims fault, surely it is them being racist, not letting us celebrate our faith

Oh do behave yourselves a bit more people! Talking of crusades and such - really! Though many UK muslims also belong to certain ethnic groups, for example Pakistani tribes (or Yemeni in Eccles) etc, no absolute assumptions can be made to connect ethnicity and adherence to islam. The Crusades had precious little to do with true Christianity (certainly not as I understand it anyway) and were a time of horrific wars and siege campaigns which caused immense suffering and bitterness and saw atrocities committed by both sides. In this generation the UK is not a Christian country though I hope it will become one again. The high water mark of Christianity in the UK was the 1860s-1870s but since then (and particularly since about 1960) we have moved far away from that such that now we are a post-modern secular-humanist state that has rejected God and His standards. We need as a nation to repent, not start crusades. Islam will increasingly be a problem in the UK in the future but we should always remember that muslims are people just like us and God is the maker of us all. That means God loves muslims [people] too though he hates islam [false religious/political ideology which denies Jesus]. In one sense I'm glad the muslims are here because I believe that God is going to bring many of them to Christian faith which they will then take into islamic heartlands. And I suspect Christians who were formerly muslim will succeed far better than crusade.

So God hates Islam does (s)he? Does God hate? So much for the God of love. This is more about people hating Islam and refusing to take responsibility for their own actions and prejudices. You religious folk seem to spend an awful lot of time hating and fighting. Perhaps you should stop blaming their failures on God, The Devil or your Invisible Friend and start loving your fellow humans a little more?

Yes Steve God does hate and that is entirely consistent with Him being a God of love. He hates evil and loves good. Furthermore he hates wrongdoing [people's evil thoughts, words and deeds] yet despite this loves the wrongdoer [people]. That is central to the character of God and to the message of the Christian gospel. God's heart is both full of justice (that evil should be punished) and mercy (that evildoers might be forgiven). The key point is ... everybody is an evildoer or - to use a less familiar word these days - a sinner. But as the Bible says "While we were still sinners Jesus died for us"; in other words in our condition of sin and evil [as God judges it] which leads only to death God gave His perfect Son Jesus to die for us on the cross to pay the death penalty for us as an atoning sacrifice. We can choose to scoff at Jesus and continue to hate God (in which case we remain under His judgement) or we can be reconciled with Him by receiving forgiveness through Jesus. Here endeth today's lesson and may God bless you all...

Lighten-up there Richard it was a joke,I like seeing the islamofacists reaction to the word crusade especially those idiots that call for the beheading of the infadel such as I.As I said before I don't care about offending touchy people anymore and that also goes for the evangelical christians. Might I suggest Monty Python's Life of Brian as good film for a religious giggle or would you consider it's message a sin? Anyway Richard I know you have a sense of humour so cheer up mate and may your god bless you and your new year.

Personally I think the Pythons were vastly over rated, certainly not comic genius. They were mainly subversive and sarcastic or unfunnily stupid but that was what passed as humour in the 1960s. Interestingly perhaps I did like Peter Cook who was of much the same ilk but did it with such brilliance, flair and originality. Frankly the Pythons' films are moronic rubbish and just dull. Life of Brian is just an attempt to sustain the one 'joke' of mocking Christ for a film's length because that was the mentality of the Pythons and probably it was only by being such 'daring radicals' that they could get funding to make any film. My idea of humour is gently observed and genuinely witty and talented stuff like Ronnie Barker, Les Dawson or Victoria Wood for example. Being a foul-mouthed blaspheming yobbo mocking others might make some laugh but it's not great comedy it's just a yob with a mic. The Pythons were just university educated yobs with a tv show. Pigs will wallow in filth and be happy but foxes, lions, dead parrots and inflatable sheep will look on with pity and knowing disapproval. Perhaps if you're on acid or are a juvenile left-wing undergraduate then the Pythons are funny but I only go for sophisticated stuff like Bottom or Red Dwarf. I mean just what is so funny about Ricky Tomlinson's backside? Did you hear the one about a devout Catholic and three muslims in a prayer room...

Okay here goes... A devout Catholic went into a Salford hospital prayer room in which three muslims were praying, a man and his two wives, both wearing the full veil. The Catholic was distressed to see that a statue of the Virgin Mary had rather irreverently been covered over with a curtain and hurriedly removed the curtain. On seeing this in a flash of rage one of the muslim women ripped off her veil and re-covered the offending statue with her veil before realising her error... Her husband was horrified that his wife had removed her veil in public and exclaimed, "Allah Most Merciful, I had no idea my new wife was really a man!" Turning to his other wife for comfort she said, "Sorry but I have a slight confession to make. I'm actually a reporter working undercover for Channel M." "Channel M... Do you mean Channel Mohammad?" asked the man, whereupon the Catholic chipped in, "No he means the Manchester TV Station with a viewership of zero in Salford because they all take great offence at the use of the word 'Manchester'." At this point the hospital's politically correct Chief Exec entered the room, sat down and put his feet on a table, lit up a cigar and said, "Do you all bloody mind arguing over the statues, this prayer room's the one damn place I can come and have a crafty fag and take a break from massaging statistics. So do please show a little more respect, this is my special smoking sanctuary." This offended the Catholic, the Muslim, the transvestite and the journalist and so they all stormed out and prayed in the Chief Exec's office instead. Left on his own the atheist Chief Exec raised his eyes to heaven and said, "Well Lord, I don't know about incense offerings but have a bit of Hamlet smoke on me." And a voice came from Heaven: "Bless you my child, but I haven't smoked regularly since I led the Israelites in the Exodus." The atheist Chief Exec was stunned to hear the voice and said, "Oh my God so you're real then?!" God replied: "I AM." Chief Exec: "Why didn't you say anything to me before? I've been coming to this prayer room all these years..." And God said: "I never told you I didn't exist, you just assumed that I didn't." Chief Exec: "I think the joke's on me."

Does Richard get out much?

Clittle, Richard gets out often enough when he is not playing Rimmer on Red Dwarf. Enjoyed the story Richard but where was the punchline?

Sorry I couldn't manage a punchline. I'm a writer and so the stuff you see here really is fired off very quickly indeed. I don't spend all day pisting comments here and its not some sort of conspiracy. In answer to Clit's query I'm hoping to go on a trip out to Morrisons in March. The prospect is very exciting I must admit. The problem at the moment Clit is that I'm on a six moth deadline to finish a book so that does mean virtual imprisonment. But after that I'm free to go out to play. I'm nothing like Rimmer ... or Lister, Holly or the Cat. Blackadder perhaps!

Good luck with the book Richard, as long as it is not about religion I may pick up a copy.

Thank you, I hope the book will be of interest to you. Getting back to the original news story: Does anybody have a current update on Mr. Protano? Is disciplinary action to be instigated against him? What conclusions have the police come to? Presumably Mr. Protano is still suspended?

James Salmon, I am assuming you suffer from insomnia, given your interest in Richard Carvath`s book!!!, it must indeed be a literary cosh, if reading it does not send you to sleep then hitting yourself over the head will no probably do the trick, as it will, no doubt, be as huge as his ego. Richard Carvarth, How do you manage to spare the time to "pist" on this site, given you are in such great demand from your publisher??!...Do get your agent warn Morrisons of your visit, I am sure they will furnish you with a red carpet on your arrival!!!.

In the words of Michael Winner, "Calm Down Dear!" May your knickers be untwisted Lizard. I don't think you could make the charge stick that I've been boastful or egotistical on this website. It's not my style. And if I was out to boast I wouldn't [and indeed I daresay couldn't] do it on this website now would I? No, I'd do it on a national paper's website or on my own website (of which there... isn't even one). I have not defended my book from your attacking it despite your knowing nothing about it (because I've said nothing about it) which is compelling proof that I was not boastful in the first instance or egotistically offended now. The mere fact of a writer saying "I'm writing a book" is not boastful or egotistical is it - certainly not in my book anyway. Your post though does perhaps reflect upon yourself as you seem to be pre-judging my mentality and motives by the standards of your own and it seems to me that in that regard we are not close relations. But if you're searching for an ego, might I suggest the man who contacted the newspaper to publicise his entry at No. 37 in a magazine's 'Power 50'?

Richard Cavarth, "In the words of Michael Winner", "Calm Down Dear!". Winner a hero of yours?. "May your knickers be untwisted Lizard". As you do not know my sex, (or you should not, unless the moderator is a colleague of yours) is this intended as a homophobic missile?, if so, wrong target. Quite right, you have not mentioned the name or topic of your book, I dare say you will try to, when it is finished, at which point the moderator should remind you not to advertise your wares. Richard, save your energy for the book, do not waste it defending yourself, as the moderator is doing this for you, apparently the word `PRIG` is offensive. Some of your points, regarding news items, I felt, were valid, others I dismiss, so I have no problems with these postings, but I am short of patience with luvies or self professed creative`s using sites like this as a platform for self promotion. Richard, revisit your postings and count how many times you have referred to you being a writer/your book.. then read , other posters, What are their professions?, you do not know, that is because they are commenting on the news item. Do the same and pamper your ego in the great national papers, much more fitting for so eminent a writer.

I've always liked Michael Winner's TV advertisement; it's one of the best things he's done (which doesn't say much for a lot of his film work). My mind boggles at the concept of a "homophobic missile"; I wouldn't know what one looked like if I saw one and I wouldn't know what to do with it if I did. I was simply using a great old English idiom (ie 'Don't get your knickers in a twist'). To the best of my knowledge even in these days of political correctness - not that I give two hoots for that - this saying is still gender-neutral. But if you're a man Lizard 'Don't get your Y-fronts in a twist'. I can tell you in no uncertain terms that I am definitely not in cahoots with the Salford Advertiser! [Furthermore I've never met or communicated with this website's editor.] The thought of us being in cahoots is actually quite funny - to me, and probably a few journalists too - because nothing could be further from the truth. I've had more spats with the Salford Advertiser than I care to remember because - how shall I put it - we see lots of things very differently! If you want an example of a miracle it is that they permit me to post anything here at all! It's a bit like the Socialist Worker letting Peter Hitchens be a guest columnist. Getting back to the issue of my alleged insatiable ego [!?], at the risk of falling foul of Shakey [methinks he doth protest too much], and not to mention 'casting pearls...', I do think Lizard that you are 'posting in the wind'. The idea that I'm trying to use this website as some sort of a vehicle is frankly ridiculous! The only reason I mentioned that I write is because I was getting snipes about frequency/length of posts and so I thought it was appropriate to explain that it's not unusual because it is what I do. My apologies to Daily Sport readers in Salford who only want to see Lucy Pinder's breasts and operate linguistically and philosophically on the level of Liam Gallagher after a night out, but some of us aspire to more. Actually I think this is just some sort of a ruse to get a free copy, isn't it Lizard? I knew it! Well you can have three free copies: one for a doorstopper, one for a tablemat and one for a dartboard. Are you satisfied now?

Richard, your y fronts must be crippling you!!, My message to you was simply, stick to the point, stop rambling. Get on with your book, and like James, if it is not about religion, I may well have a copy.. you going to charge me postage on all these free copies? (only joking..Richard only joking!).

I promise to stop rambling Lizard. I will take your advice and get on with work. Free copies are post free. After I turned thirty my mother finally stopped buying me underpants so I am now a Y-front free household.

Hi Richard, Is this you trying to scrounge a pair of underpants!?!,... ok I give in..what size..?..

I just 'feel the breeze' these days - loose loincloths are coming back into fashion you know.

Richard, I wear sackcloth and hot ashes, they keep my bits warm..