Letters

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Dear Messenger,

Last November a Ford Granada collided with the car behind me and shunted it into my car. The Ford, to my astonishment, sped off. I rang the police immediately and they traced its registered address.

I spent four hours in casualty with pains down my arm and I cannot afford to repair my car and I don’t want to claim on my insurance for fear of losing my no claims bonus.

I rang the police in January and was informed that, due to the Christmas period, the police had been unable to contact the owner of the Ford. Odd – I thought that the Christmas holiday lasted three days not five weeks! Despite writing to the Chief Constable, I have heard nothing since.

I have been the victim of a number of crimes and the only action the police have ever taken is to try and charge me to get my motorbike back the second time it was stolen! What disincentive is there for criminals, if they know that the police will not bother to catch them and what incentive is there for me to continue to be law abiding, if I am continually let down by the police?

I would like to thank the man who lent me his mobile phone, the witnesses who gave me the Ford Granada’s number and the person who swept up the mess. It seems that the people of Pitsmoor have a far higher sense of public duty than South Yorkshire Police do.

Sally A Stracey