PM is right to stand up to brazen Putin

The nerve agent attack in Salisbury was appalling. Of course, all the facts must be ascertained, but it’s becoming clear the person responsible must have come from a high level within Russia, a country which seems to be a law unto itself. Theresa May has shown strong leadership in this crisis. Such a brazen attack on our soil cannot go without a tough response. Nick Fletcher, Malton, North Yorkshire

The Russians justify their actions in Syria by, rightly or wrongly, labelling the rebels as terrorists.

They then do what they did in Salisbury, putting many people and the emergency services in danger. They could not care less about who was affected, which is an attitude prevalent in terrorists. Julia Tarrant, address supplied

I do not agree with Peter Hitchens’s view of Putin. The Russian leader is a bully and the UK should stand up to him. His country murdered Alexander Litvinenko on our soil and nothing was done. Now Sergei Skripal has been targeted. Frank Schofield, Royton, Oldham

I waited with interest to read Peter Hitchens’s take on the awful incident in Salisbury. His article stands as a useful reminder that the UK has nothing to gain from picking a fight with Russia. But surely that is missing the point. An attempted murder has been carried out on British soil. Does Peter believe the Government should do nothing, despite the chief suspect having done it before and got away with it? I fear we have little choice but to fight back. Mike Ogden, Worksop, Nottingham

By failing to support the Prime Minister over Russia, Comrade Corbyn is showing everyone how dangerous it would be if he were ever elected Prime Minister. Perhaps now the young and easily impressed will see their folly. John Roberts, Bradford

As a resident of Salisbury, I was interested to see that your article last week made reference to the fact that we no longer have a dedicated police station, a dismal scenario shared by many communities across the UK.

The vast majority of local residents – and every police officer I have spoken to – firmly believe that the closure of the station in 2014 was a huge mistake, but the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) was adamant that it was not required.

This recent incident highlights the fact that without a permanent dedicated police station, our police officers have nowhere locally to set up an incident room, nor a custody suite in which to detain suspects.

Our PCC has stated that arrests are down in this area, therefore neither a police station nor the custody suite are required.

I can only hope that any person with influence reading this letter will question the PCC over his decision. David Fisher, Salisbury