AS a retired detective with 34 years' police service I am appalled at the state of policing in this country and I am aware that other former colleagues share my exasperation.

The outrageous situation on Warner Street, Accrington, the most welcoming street in a declining town where honest independent traders feel under siege from lowlifes and are obliged to demonstrate publicly out of sheer frustration is a testament in my opinion to the warped priorities of today's senior officers.

Many of them have never been seasoned thief-takers but are composed of sociology graduates immersed in the dogma and ideology of diversity.

They constantly pander to every passing fad from painting police cells in customer friendly colours, encouraging officers to wear stilettos to highlight domestic violence and paint their nails in rainbow colours in support of the LGBT movement, modern slavery and other fatuous gimmicky and ridiculous schemes.

They have focused on cyber crime, historical sex abuse,hate crime and online abuse, neglecting traditional crimes and the reassuring presence of coppers walking the beat.

I ask myself how many foot soldiers are protecting the public of East Lancashire at night time.

Recent statistics reveal staggeringly that 78% of burglaries, the most intrusive, invasive and personal of crimes anyone can face remain undetected.

In defence of the accelerated closure of our local police stations the police hierarchy blame the lack of Government funding and yet they themselves are delighted to accept sky high earnings and retire on gold-plated pensions to take up a directorship of a publicly quoted company.

The final straw for me, and what must be a massive blow to the morale of the hard-working bobby at the coal face of operational policing at all hours, was the sheer cowardice of Sir Craig Mackey the acting head of the Met who locked himself, with his own safety in mind, in his car at the Westminster terror attack as he witnessed one of his officers fatally stabbed.

This was in contrast to other brave unarmed individuals who ran into danger to help him. He should be stripped of his knighthood and fall upon his sword but don't anyone hold their breath.

Remember those at the top lead by example and the rank and file follow. What a sorry and deeply shaming tale this is.

In the meantime mind how you go and in the word of the old saying 'If you want to know the time' in today's climate like the poor vulnerable traders on Warner Street you will simply have to look at your watch.

Retired Detective Inspector Jim Oldcorn, Great Harwood