I HAVE been impressed by your recent promotions of the local police service. It was good to see that someone had been convicted of giving a PC a black eye and another villain of bursting a WPC's nose, if I remember rightly.

There does, however, appear to be an element of selection in which cases are handled. Recently a neighbour was seriously threatened in the early morning by young members of a neighbouring family and their live-in lovers. The police advised that they could not attend.

Not very long ago, I was punched, felled, kicked in the chest and head and received long term damage to my shoulder, a black eye, bruising to my face, other arm, chest and leg. My attacker was allegedly cautioned. Totally independent witnesses were never interviewed. It may be pure chance, but my attacker is friendly with one or two policemen. He also has an alleged reputation for violence and threats.

The trivial offence was enough to cause the Criminal Compensation Board to award me over £6,000.

War Pensioner.

(name and address supplied)

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.