Loss of city’s water cannons

I was concerned to read the article “Boris’s water cannons sold for a huge loss” (Gazette, November 21).

This reported that Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has sold off at a very cheap price the water cannon that Boris Johnson bought for us a few years ago.

I believe it was a wise decision to buy water cannon to keep in reserve to protect us if the worst should happen again.

We should remember how vulnerable we felt when parts of London were deliberately set on fire in 2011 by disaffected gangs of youths.

It was frightening to see department stores and other businesses going up in flames as well as people’s homes in places such as Enfield, Middlesex, being under threat of destruction.

We have fewer police and other emergency service workers now than we had then, so civil unrest is a frightening prospect.

Why sell the water cannon, when they could be kept in reserve for such emergencies?

Thinking ahead and planning to protect people is what good leadership is about.

Name and address witheld