GIVEN the news that a man seeking to protect his neighbour's property must now pay £170 court costs for his use of what may be described as vernacular language ("Raid fury lands man in court", January 8), I shall take heed of this message from the courts.

Should I see anyone acting suspiciously on any of my neighbours' properties I shall simply ignore them.

After all, similar attitudes by the police and courts have already signalled that if one witnesses an assault taking place, the correct course of action is to ring the police, then wait, continuing to watch the assault taking place so you can report the description of the assailants, or run away, but on no account do anything to intervene.

Dr Duncan Campbell

Albemarle Road,

York.

Updated: 10:16 Friday, January 11, 2002