THE revelations by the unnamed serving police officer in last week's Guardian makes interesting, if not alarming, reading.

Are we really expected to believe that, on average, on any 10 hour shift, that there are only two officers on duty to cover the villages named, which have a total population of more than 35,000 people?

From his comments it is evident that this is not an exhaustive list of villages 'patrolled' by these three officers so that even if we exclude Winsford and district and Frodsham/Helsby district, we are talking about a population approaching 68,000.

Would Superintendent Ian Johns not agree that this level of policing is unlikely to increase public confidence and provide the quality of service demanded by the general public ie a visible police presence; freedom from fear for the more vulnerable members of our community and an acceptable level of security to which we are all entitled.

COUNCILLOR K MUSGRAVE

Hartford and Whitegate Ward, Booth Road, Hartford.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.