I AM sure that Inspector Ian Anderson, of North Yorkshire Police, is trying his level best to come to terms with the new initiative "Cop Idol".

However, there is a distinct grey area when it comes to dealing with policing matters, which is not being dealt with to the general good. This latest scheme may prove a short-term solution, but will not address the problem in the long term and will not be, as we are all led to believe by statisticians, financially viable.

Permanent local police personnel, that is to say home beat policemen, stationed and housed within local communities, strategically placed, with their own communications department within the headquarters of the main force, can be used in unison at any given time to assist each other, without having to resort to using other units dealing with major incidents and emergency cases.

Personal contact on everyday issues always has been, and will always be, the primary object if we are to regain confidence in the rule of law. The sooner our members of Parliament and councillors bite the bullet and admit this is the way forward, the sooner we may return to normality.

Kenneth Bowker, Vesper Walk, Huntington, York.