NOW I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! has finished, I'm watching She's A Chief Constable... Get Her Out Of Here!

Ever since Della Cannings arrived she has continued to make the North Yorkshire Police force a laughing stock. Many people are now saying she has lost the plot.

This is the latest of her hare-brained schemes making it increasingly difficult for people to get access to our police force.

A premium rate telephone is not the way to go. How many times do we have to pay for our police force, once through income tax, twice through council tax, and now a third time with a £1.50-a- minute phone line.

In future, instead of calling the police for help with any problem in our area we shall have to deal with it ourselves.

Job done.

Jeremy Banyard,

Bramham Grove,

Acomb, York.

...THE proposal by North Yorkshire Police to charge premium rates for non-emergency phone calls to them is the most idiotic I have heard.

If I see an abandoned car in the street, or if the police ask for information about a crime, should I be expected to pay premium rates to inform them?

The increased taxation - far above inflation rate - to fund the police, together with the reduced service we receive in villages such Strensall where the police station has been closed, should mean a free phone line for non-urgent matters.

What comes next?

Our phone calls answered in India?

Harry H Punter,

Corncroft,

Strensall, York.

...ONCE again we are paying the price for politically correct appointments.

Having doubled the cost of policing Della "Disaster" Cannings is now expecting us to pay for being informed that no action has been taken on our complaints, and at an inflated premium call rate too. It's time Della was shown the red card.

K Barnes,

North View, Catterton.

....WE were interested to read about charging people to phone the police.

Well, Dell Girl, we have come up with a nice little earner which may take your fancy.

How about charging people to enter the police station? You could ask a fiver a head and one goes free if you take in more than ten.

You could also offer books of tickets or season tickets - with an appropriate discount, of course.

How about doing a double law courts/local nick special deal? Then again you could sell a Cops' Calendar 2005, or host Bobbies' Bingo. And to save money, carrier pigeons are much cheaper than radios.

The two of us have got a few more scams up our sleeves for screwing a few more bob out of the punters to fund the boys in blue. All above board, Dell Girl, honest!

Get in touch - maybe we can come up with some even better ideas between the three of us.

Lee and Linda Maloney,

Millfield Avenue,

York.

...CHIEF Constable Della Cannings you have the right to remain silent but anything you do say will be charged at £1.50 a minute.

Kenny Lieske,

Balmoral Terrace.

York.

..WHAT on earth is going on with our police service having to contemplate premium rate phone lines?

Let's have some common sense, please. I cannot believe what I am reading.

What next? The police to register as a charity to be able to sustain the service for the future?

Keith Chapman,

Custance Walk,

Benedict Road,

Nunnery Lane,

York.

...PREMIUM rate phone calls to get in touch with the police? Whatever next? 0898 Della's Partyline?

This is outrageous. What are North Yorkshire police being paid for? It certainly isn't for reducing crime or antisocial behaviour in this region.

Dr Richard Greaves,

Morehall Close,

Rawcliffe, York.

....WE won't be able to call them "coppers" any more, will we?

Annie Wright

Aston Science,

Park Love Lane,

Birmingham.

Updated: 10:46 Friday, February 13, 2004