RE the article on page five of the LET, April 13 concerning potential future problems with paying police pensions.

It's about time the gravy train of police pensions was derailed once and for all.

Like ALL public sector pensions -- and salaries and other benefits for that matter -- police pensions have long been a drain on the taxpayer.

An ever dwindling band of manufacturing industry employees has seen private sector pay, pensions, sick pay, holiday pay and other benefits reduced year after year since Thatcher turned this country into a theme park for money hungry bosses.

We can afford a top heavy public sector while we still have oil to sell but what happens when the black gold runs out? -- like it is already starting to do.

Currently a police officer starts on over £18,000 per annum as young as 18 years of age.

That pay rises to over £25,000pa even for a constable.

The PC can then retire as young as 48 years of age on a pension two thirds of that salary plus a huge lump sum -- as much as £50,000 was quoted to me by a constable I know who is retiring next year.

The tax payer then has to fund that pension -- index linked -- for the next 40 or 50 years. It's just not financially viable any more.

It is unfair and unjustifiable when the tax payers who pay for these utopian benefits are faced with worthless private pensions or no occupational pension at all.

Police officers -- and all other public sector people -- should work till they are 65 like the rest of us have to do. Younger officers can do "front line" duties.

Older officers can stay in the station and do all that paperwork the police are always moaning about.

Then, when they do retire, they should get a money purchase scheme like most private sector employees have to make do with -- if they are fortunate enough to actually be paid enough post Thatcher -- to be able to afford to save for their retirement.

These measures will drastically reduce the public sector pensions bill and leave much more money for actual services -- including more police actually on the beat instead of doing paperwork or being retired.

PAUL ATHERTON, Kilgrimol Gardens, St Annes.