It is enlightening to see how the police authorities appear to be spending our recent 76.09 per cent council tax increase on such important events as:

- Saturday, April 5: Scores of police officers defending "RAF" Fylingdales against a handful of peace protesters.

- Sunday, April 6: Countless police officers at the Whitwell-on-the-Hill point to point meeting. Here, the nearside lane of the westbound dual carriageway of the A64 was coned off, causing horrendous traffic jams.

- Monday, April 28: Two police cameras situated by the Field Lane roundabout on the Hull Road, set up, presumably, to catch errant motorists leaving York during the evening rush-hour.

These seemed to be backed up by a police patrol car waiting in the layby just past the B&Q traffic lights, and a large number of policemen monitoring the captive audience in the traffic queues at the Grimston Bar traffic lights.

Quite what they were doing there was a mystery. Perhaps someone would be kind enough to enlighten us?

Just think of all that lovely overtime!

Why are the police not out catching hardened criminals, instead of easy targets such as long-suffering motorists and peace protesters?

However, when you really do require the assistance of a police officer, can you ever find one?

Mrs F Jones,

New Building,

Main Street,

Heslington,

York.

...Once again I read that Supt John Lacy thinks that it is "crucially important that we (the police force) work with the community in building a robust infrastructure" (Shake up for police station, April 29).

You cannot build an infrastructure by moving all your officers miles away from the people. Having all officers stationed either at Fulford Road or Clifford Street means that the response time for an incident in say Clifton or Acomb will get longer and longer. Whereas a small altercation in the middle of town will get a full blown response in no time at all. This is simply not the way to run an effective police force.

He also says that members of the public will be able to arrange an appointment with their "ward manager".

I take it that this goes for the louts and hooligans we have to deal with on a regular basis.

What is going on when a nearly new police station at Clifton Moor is given over to the coroners office and licensing department?

Once again I ask for our money to be spent on our streets.

Give us the beat bobbies we have paid for, give us back the safety of our streets, otherwise we may have to begin patrolling the streets ourselves again, just to keep the peace at home!

Jeremy Banyard,

Bramham Grove,

Acomb, York.

Updated: 11:19 Thursday, May 01, 2003