WITH reference to: “Police: don’t browbeat the public”, (Soap Box, July 21), would the reader and letter writer rather have the law-abiding citizen integrate with troublemakers in the general melee that may ensue, and thereby risk being arrested or injured?

In any given situation, especially where large crowds are assembled, crowd control is the first priority and unfortunately those people of a more sensitive nature and not used to obeying orders or lacking in discipline may find conforming to authority difficult.

Having policed numerous events at Wembley Stadium and the like, instructions are relayed to officers of incidents taking place out of sight, out of mind from the mainstream of events, and urgent remedial action is sometimes necessary, such as riots or more sinister threats which could threaten any bystander.

Prevention is better than cure, and in most cases there is no time to explain your actions at any given moment.

Kenneth Bowker, Vesper Walk, Huntington, York.