YOUR comment (LET, August 25) about crime rates was spot on, for, yet again, there seems to be some confusion over the squeezes on policing and performance.

That is especially the case regarding the reduction of police on the beat rather than those in cars.

In the light of the circumstances we all now face, it might be better if people from all areas took to the streets in protest, for both Home Secretary Jack Straw and Pauline Clare, our Chief Constable, do not understand the real concerns of the public over crime and policing.

It is high time they consulted with us on this ever-growing concern as they appear to be way off in their own attempts to tackle these problems.

P NEWTON (chairman, Bank Top Community Association), Ashworth Close, Blackburn.

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