LETTERS

Police have lost control

YES, I’m afraid the police have lost control (Mail). After the Government made dramatic cuts in the police force and the stopping of stop and search, my stepson, who is in the CID, predicted this would happen.

We need more police on the beat and a heavy-handed approach to criminals with a zero tolerance approach to cut crime. BRIAN WORTHINGTON,

Stockport, Cheshire. THE primary object of an efficient police force is the detection and prevention of crime. Perhaps if they just concentrated on that, we might have a safer, happier country. LESLEY WILKINS, Broadstairs, Kent.

Stand up for our coppers

FEW front-line police officers would deny that they are losing or, indeed, have lost control of the streets. I am retired from the Met police and know that before the loss of 21,000 officers, we had one of the lowest police per population ratios in Europe.

In addition, the loss of thousands of police support staff has placed a huge additional burden on officers.

However, the term ‘surrender’ is an insult to officers who are having to deal with increasingly violent incidents, suffering ever more brutal attacks and injuries.

More than 70 per cent of police time is spent dealing with non- crime matters that are the result of cuts to the NHS and social services.

Please don’t denigrate the police and ignore the daily acts of bravery, kindness and compassion by officers.

In contrast with the Mail’s survey, recent polls by YouGov and Ipsos Mori show public trust and approval ratings at more than 70 per cent. CHRIS HOBBS,

London W7.

Brexit Trump card

FEW of us would invite Donald Trump to our homes or put him on our Christmas card list. He is brash, over-confident, with dubious morals and who would want him for a friend?

He’s ruffled feathers, made statements designed to irritate others, but who would have thought there could be a meeting of the U.S. President and the leader of North Korea?

I wish we had a similar outspoken leader who would proudly announce: ‘It’s time to put Britain First.’

If Trump was leading our Brexit negotiations, he would say: ‘We are British and we want out, now. You will still want to trade with us and we with you, so here’s the deal.

‘We will control our borders, restrict immigration and uphold our own laws, not those imposed on us by you. Should you feel this is not possible, further debate is a waste of time. We will begin our new road unilaterally as soon as we can.’

JOHN DOWSE, Duffield, Derbys.

Don’t belittle our PM

THERESA MAY graciously invited Donald Trump to our country and he ridicules and belittles her by telling her not to expect a trade deal with the U.S. Why did the Americans vote for this idiot to run their country?

DIAN JAMES, Tewkesbury, Glos. I THOUGHT you Brits wanted Brexit ( Mail)! Yes, we do, Mr President, but we have a Prime Minister who doesn’t.

BRIAN BEST, High Wycombe, Bucks. I HOPED Theresa May was capable of doing what we voted for. How wrong can you be.

Should she get her way, we’ll be tied to the EU for years and they will make us suffer for it, too.

If Mrs May doesn’t feel she is up to the task of negotiating the Brexit we voted for, then for heaven’s sake step down and let someone who can get us out take over. DAVID F. H. LEADER,

Sissinghurst, Kent. TRUMP came out with his usual erratic, egocentric bluster. Theresa May remained composed and singleminded — which is what we need for the negotiations with the EU. CHRIS SCOTT-BARRETT,

Cambridge.

Silver spoon apprentice?

YOUNGSTERS are being encouraged to take apprenticeship rather than a degree.

Has this had much impact on students from Eton, Harrow, Rugby or Charterhouse?

How many of these youngsters have opted to be plumbers, electricians, bricklayers or plasterers? ROBERT A. DELUCE,

Crick, Northants.

Slow death of a town

I SUPPORT the Daily Mail’s campaign to reform business rates as I have seen the fallout caused to Chepstow, a tourist town and the gateway to Wales.

The department store Herbert Lewis, which has traded for 140 years and sells quality items, is to close its doors. Smaller local shops, including a newsagent’s and butcher’s, have already closed.

Business rates are destroying our town and cities and causing unemployment.

If there are no shops there will be no revenue for the government and local authorities.

Do we want to be left with ghost towns and people claiming benefits? Not all of us want to shop online.

GILLIAN ROGERS, Caldicot, Monmouthshire.

I can’t get no satisfaction

IT HAS become the custom, following a purchase or service, for large companies to send customer satisfaction surveys to complete because ‘your opinion is important to us’.

But is this anything other than a paper exercise? I have recently moved home and British Gas and Virgin Media have taken me to the edge of despair with their inefficiency and incompetence.

When the inevitable customer satisfaction survey arrived, I slated them for their appalling service. I haven’t received a reply. Does any-

one in these companies read these surveys? The next time I am sent one, I won’t bother to fill it in. PATRICIA GARNER, Basildon, Essex.

Last takeaway supper

SCIENTISTS were shocked that before he was shot with an arrow on an Alpine pass 5,000 years ago, Otzi the Iceman’s last meal was a ‘ horrible- tasting’, high- fat concoction of goat, red deer and bracken.

It sounds quite nice to me and compares favourably with the average modern person’s diet: a steak bake and Belgian bun from a High Street bakery for breakfast; a chocolate and nut bar and bag of crisps for a mid-morning snack; three-fortwo sausage rolls for lunch; a mid- afternoon pick- me- up bag of crisps; a cheese burger with chips after work; leaving just enough room for a ready meal chicken korma and rice that’s microwaveable in just five minutes.

And all washed down with ten cups of tea, three buckets of takeaway coffee and a bottle or five of beer.

ANDREAS SMITH, Bishop Auckland, Co. Durham.

Radio turn-off

HOW I agree with my fellow listeners who are unhappy with the revamping of Radio 2 (Letters). I’ve sent several complaints to the BBC about Chris Evans’s presentation style, but have never received a response.

Does the BBC think my view is wrong or not important enough to be listened to?

Mr Evans is known as ‘Motor Mouth’ or ‘Gobalot’ in my house because in every interview he conducts he continually interrupts and talks over his guest.

And don’t bother setting your watch by the news bulletin as it’s never on time.

I have been a Radio 2 breakfast time listener for decades and feel so sad it has gone downhill. Thank goodness for Tony Blackburn on Saturday morning followed by Dermot O’Leary.

During the week, I no longer torture myself with Radio 2, but start the day with the civilised sound of Classic FM. GLENYS BRADSHAW,

Mansfield, Notts.