HERE we go again - plastered across the papers, the most important news, mixed up with earthquakes, murder, currency crisis and other world-shattering items, is that anyone found driving at 1mph above the speed limit will bring the full weight of the law down upon themselves.

This should soon see a return of the death penalty. And quite right, too.

If our boys in blue (do they still wear blue? - I haven't seen a policeman for some time, although I do see their gaily-decorated cars which must be a joy to drive) find that all these petty acts of crime, such as rape, murder, burglary, drugs and prostitution keep interfering with the lads who swear to uphold the law of the land, how on earth can we expect them to fill the courts with the real despots who aim to kill as they allegedly go about their daily business on the roads?

We must be grateful for the undoubted detection skills it takes to apprehend them and thank goodness for the modern technical means they have at their disposal.

It disgusts me that senior officers have the temerity to even suggest that they leave this important work to cameras, etc to spend some precious time to fill in mountains of paperwork and, worse still, to even consider other crimes.

The serious stress the lads have is a fact, as can be seen by the number who can apparently obtain sick notes by the pad full and to anyone who feels his talents are being wasted away from traffic duties, a nice pension and early retirement beckons.

T HAWORTH, Carlinghurst Road, Blackburn.

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