I feel I must reply to the latest cheap and ill-informed letter from Mr Derek Julian slating the police service (Be bothered, not apathetic', Echo, December 28).

We all know that the prisons are overcrowded. How did the prisoners get there? The police must be doing something right.

We should all support our police who do care and who daily put their lives on the line to try and uphold the peace in an increasingly complicated and multi-racial society.

A far as I know fisherman do not get, on a daily basis, assaulted, spat upon, threatened with weapons and go head to head with drunken and drugged up yobs and criminals.

This is all for a wage which most self-employed tradesmen in the building trade would find lacking.

The so-called fat pensions received by police officers are paid for by themselves throughout their service from inflated contributions. Nobody gets something for nothing, and even that has been eroded by recent legislation where new joiners get a reduced pension for longer service.

Before long we will be faced with a recruitment problem and wonder why intelligent young people do not want to join a service that is not supported, paid well, and to which politicians pay lip service to increase their popularity at award ceremonies.

Mr Julian, our police deserve their inflation rise of 2.5 per cent.

They don't want more than what they are entitled to, and yes they have been let down by a Home Secretary who has gone behind their backs and broken a long term pay agreement from an independent body to curry favour with her new prime minister.

Mr Julian from your privileged position you should blame central government for the following reasons: 1. The introduction of policing on the cheap with community support officers who are doing the job which regular and better trained officers who work 24/7 should be doing, at the same time reducing officers' on response duties.

2. The introduction of 24-hour licensing laws which have increased disorder on our streets - and at the same time the government is wringing its hands at the increase of alcohol abuse and its impact on the health of the nation.

3. The reclassification of a drug which is a danger to society and has confused some people into thinking that some drugs are safe to use.

4. They went back on their word to the police on pay agreements.

5. The introduction of policing by performance indicators and plans which have no relevance to local needs - and a culture of business management that encourages police managers to butterfly between posts to improve their CVs.

6. The introduction of increasing paper work, record keeping, and procedures which increasingly keeps officers off the streets - where they want to be and should be.

7. Together with the media have created an atmosphere where every police officer is frightened of making a mistake because if they do get it wrong they are crucified, receiving no support, even if done with the best intentions, on limited information, at 3am on a cold windy street.

So, Mr Julian take off your rose tinted glasses of yesteryear and support the people who are not apathetic - your local police officers and the sections of the community who work with them. You could even help them in a constructive and practical way.

A R Mason, Preston, Weymouth.