North Yorkshire Police's £26 million nest egg is an absolute disgrace and an insult to the council tax payers of North Yorkshire.

It presents important questions:

Did the North Yorkshire Police Authority (NYPA) know about this? If they did, then they are clearly negligent for letting it happen.

If the NYPA did not know about it, then why not? If this has been the case, then members of the NYPA are clearly incompetent, and should all resign immediately.

As a member of the North Yorkshire Police Authority Focus Group I am appalled and disgusted with its inaction. The NYPA is obviously in bed with the police.

If ever there was a time to withhold our police precept then that time is now. I shall be withholding mine forthwith.

The time has come for those who pay to have a say in the type of policing that we want, not what the police give us.

Mr K Chapman,

South Drive,

Harrogate.

Updated: 10:57 Thursday, January 27, 2005