CAMPAIGN HIJACKED

MRS Singleton (Your Views June 19) has certainly opened a can of worms encouraging other contributors to engage in debate over the past three weeks through your columns.

Her reference to the murders of serving PC

Keith Palmer and Lee Rigby struck a chord with me.

As a police officer who retired from the Accrington CID 23 years ago I can honestly say in my 34 years service I never witnessed any racist behaviour within the ranks.

Possibly I was fortunate but somehow I doubt it but we cannot deny that systemic racism still exists in pockets of British society.

The violent protestors today’s police have had to confront recently by those intent on mob rule has quite frankly been disgraceful.

The leadership from the top brass has been pathetic, totally ineffective and embarrassing for us police pensioners.

Rather than support those under their command politically correct [leaders] with more academic degrees to their names than arrests have turned a blind eye failing to secure national treasures as rioting anarchists vandalised statues.

They must be held to account, recalibrate their skewed priorities and fulfil their primary function of fighting crime and keeping the public safe.

I have enormous respect for the bobbies on the front line who perform a difficult perilous job with courage and commitment putting their lives on the line to save others.

As a civilised nation none of us want to see others suffer persecution because of their race.

The BLM initially was a honourable campaign instigated as a result of a tragic and indefensible incident with the intentions of eradicating racial inequality but sadly it has been hijacked by a far left ideology and agenda hoping to destabalise the establishment and promote their own political ends.

Retired Det Insp Jim Oldcorn Great Harwood