I READ with interest your article about the Police Community Support Officers and I fear it left me convinced that this scheme has very little to recommend it (November 6).

This comes through particularly well in the stories related by the five officers featured in your article all of which clearly illustrated to me what a complete waste of money this whole project is.

With one possible exception, the staff seemed to appear to be working for a Good Samaritan organisation rather than to back up the police.

Even the pathetic attempts to enforce cycling regulations are futile if telling cyclists not to ride on the footpath simply sees them ride off doing exactly the same thing.

As for the woman officer who told the cyclists that Parliament Street was a cyclist no-go area at a time when a sign said it was not, words fail me.

I am unaware whether the money for this scheme is coming from the police budget or that of the council.

All I do know is that we, the council tax payers, are having to foot the bill at a time when the council is allegedly looking for measures to save money.

If the council is paying, and it feels it must, may I suggest the money spent on this daft idea is given to the police so they could employ a few more proper police officers.

Mr D J Spink,

Ryecroft Avenue, York.

Updated: 11:11 Saturday, November 15, 2003