I FAIL to agree with D Pratt on hanging (Opinion, May, 21). I am in favour of capital punishment.

With all the forensic science we have today, it should not be difficult to see that a person is guilty of murder.

I don’t know if you are older than me, Mr Pratt, as I remember in the 1950s when murder was a sensation and I put it down to the fact we had hanging and there was a deterrent protecting people from this heinous crime.

Once hanging had been abolished, we saw a rise in murders.

And, don’t forget the cost to the taxpayers of keeping these murderers in prison.

Would you, Mr Pratt, want hanging abolished if a member of your family was a victim of murder?

The families of these victims remain traumatised for life.

H Hamer.