I WAS shocked to read that the average sentence for a person who has been given a life sentence for murder is between 13 and 15 years.

As Norman Bremmen, a spokesman for the Victims of Crime Trust said, our justice system has become a complete joke. I often think many of our judges live on another planet.

Let us suppose that a man kills somebody when he is 20, so he is released when he is 33 and has another 45 years or so to enjoy his life. Meanwhile the person he murdered has been deprived of his life and his family may never really get over his loss.

And how many have killed again when they have been released, I would like to know?

Surely the deliberate taking of a life should have to serve at least 20 years as punishment.

COUNCILLOR D PEARSON, Rawstorne Street, Blackburn.