I MUST take issue with those people who want more police on the streets and are prepared to pay more in their council tax.

It seems to me that more (disillusioned) police cannot solve the problem of lack of a proper deterrent, when a Lord Chief Justice has told the judiciary not to send first time burglars to jail!

I was horrified to hear from the Chief Constable how much of taxpayers' money goes on pensions and more police means more pensions without solving the problem of crime!

If would-be thieves and burglars knew that a period in the stocks in front of the area that they burgled (in all weathers instead of a cosy warm anonymous prison cell), or the cane, or if necessary the cat-o'-nine tails (as a sample of the misery and fear they caused to others) was what they could expect, then the need for more police would diminish and taxes accordingly.

Having said this I blame the party politicians of all parties not only for their cowardly subscription to the European Convention on human rights which ties our hands (what about victims' rights?) and for standing idly by while the industrial base of this country has been dismantled in pursuit of

the new world order of Bush & co so that the lesser mortals who commit these crimes have less chance of earning a living for themselves as they used to be able or being brought up in the right way in righteous fear.

As I wrote before - continuation of crime is good business for some.

MARTIN CRUTTWELL

Scrayingham

Updated: 11:35 Wednesday, February 12, 2003