SIR: Mr A Devlin, in his letter published in your column on October 27, appears to fear that introducing ID cards would interfere with our 'human rights'. But he forgets the rights of ordinary people to walk our streets unafraid; to park cars without them being stolen or vandalised; not to have their houses broken into and their property taken.

I could go on with such a list but for lack of space. If the introduction of ID cards will help to prevent these things - and it will - then the sooner they are introduced the better.

He hints that the cost of introducing the cards will be prohibitive. The figure he quotes is far too high, but that is irrelevant.

What is certain is that the savings achieved in introducing the ID card will far outweigh the cost - the savings from the millions presently lost through benefit swindles; the savings from the identification of the thousands of illegal immigrants who have not paid a penny but dig deep into the funds available to those who legitimately have need for such help; the savings achieved by reduction in vandalism.

During the war, everyone held an ID card and no-one complained then. Today we are fighting another war, a war against crime, and no-one should complain now.

A Hornby

Glendale Drive, Bolton

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