I WAS somewhat surprised that my little letter (Feb 8) provoked Ch. Supt. Hollowood into feeling the need to respond. Unfortunately he totally missed the point.

Of course, as a victim I did confine my criticism to the police because, at the end of the day, when my home is robbed and then my car is stolen I expect a bit more than I got. CCTV is great in town centres but does little to deter the kind of crime suffered by householders.

Additionally, the PCCG meetings on a workday afternoon are of no help to the majority who go to work, and when he threw the council, schools and businesses into the equation he totally lost me.

Surely a victim of three crimes in six months can expect a police response. Even a simple matter such as unlit roadworks on Bury Old Road, Prestwich, has been totally ignored for nine months. Sorting out that little problem doesn't help crime statistics, but it does restore a bit of public faith.

I ask: can there be a better copper than a local copper? I doubt the current policing arrangements have any impact on local crime and I can only reiterate that figures are falling because of public apathy over reporting crimes and because they are unable to find someone who has the time or the interest of the public at heart.

VICTIM