AFTER reading your 'Opinion' on police attitudes to young thugs (LET, July 15), I am writing to tell of my experience.

Our area has been plagued for years by young people, so, seeking some preventive action, I wrote to the police through my MP Jack Straw.

I asked the following questions:

How often in the past year had the police spoken to any of these young people?

What was the level of policing between 4pm and 10pm in my area?

What positive action were the police going to take to resolve the problem?

The local police commander did not answer the questions, but, in a letter to Mr Straw, said that I was an elderly man who wanted more than my share of policing for what were not really crimes.

These 'non-crimes' included the vandalising of two seats in the street and ornamental flower tubs and the pulling up of the trees planted by the corporation.

My share of the 'non-crimes' are: two broken gates, a broken wall, a house brick thrown through the rear window, and a sky rocket through the front window (which, but for a neighbour's help, could have set fire to the house).

The list is endless.

Name and address received.

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