I cannot believe that any police officer, let alone an officer in such a senior position, can even suggest manipulating the law in the way he is proposing.
Hitherto, we are witnessing devolvement of police responsibilities to a relatively new organisation, the Community Support Officers, who I am sure are well intentioned people, but are at best, only uniform-carriers, as they have no powers to enforce the law in the same way as a police officer, which is no more than policing on the cheap.
Now we have a very senior officer advocating yet more abdication of the police responsibility to the public safety and protection, by suggesting these measures – which are unlawful at best, and irresponsible in the extreme.
We have seen plenty of evidence of the downturn in social behaviour in our country, and we also once had a police FORCE which was the envy of the rest of the world.
It has obviously deteriorated into an organisation which is governed at a senior level by people who are afraid of offending law-breakers and minority groups at the expense of failing in their responsibility to the law-abiding community at large – which is what they are paid to do.
Adopting these proposals would only further erode what little social order that exists in our country, and it makes it all the more worrying that the idea comes from such a senior officer.
Perhaps it's time he elected to go on pension.
I.W.J.
Name and address supplied
Thornton Cleveleys

Praise after trauma at Tower
RE the article by Emma Harris (October 7 2008) and a reply (Letters, October 10) by two people from Bradford.
My friends Connie, Roy and my partner Joan and I – all over 65 – went up Blackpool Tower about 2pm on Saturday October 4 and became isolated with the other visitors due to the high winds.
The Tower attendant kept us informed as best he could and did a great job in answering the many varied questions asked.
A British spirit of calm and "we will be alright" seemed to prevail mostly for the four hours we were isolated, but you can imagine it was very unpleasant towards the end.
When we came down Tower general manager Geoff Sage and his staff offered a great welcome to all of us (70 plus I believe). Nothing was too much trouble.
He did say we were never in danger but an encouraging few words on the tannoy would have been welcome.
It seems it was a first and my friends and I were part of it.
Neil Boon
Peterborough

Support hostel fight
RE plans to build a hostel for the homeless. Members of our group recently made a presentation to Fylde's Cabinet, where several councillors supported our view that the hostel should not be a first port of call for claimants whose circumstances are unknown.
We advocate a policy of dispersal of homeless households. We showed how homeless trends have fallen in recent years, reducing the need for a new facility. We identified an alternative option to provide homeless units via another social landlord.
We also suggested renting out the Heeley Road workshop to supplement the council's revenue and to sell it at a higher price in the future.
Those leading the council do not appear ready to have this discussion and we urge councillors to persuade their colleagues to consider this matter seriously.
Bob Dagnall
Chairman, Heeley Road Hostel Group, St Annes

Bus is lifeline for my dog
RE Vic Webley's letter "Ban dogs on buses", I agree no dogs should occupy seats. But as for travelling, that is a must for people like myself. How would I get my dog to the vets? She is a big Labrador.
Also, no responsible dog owner would take their pet on public transport if it was dangerous.
So, Vic Webley, just think of all those people with no cars and just public transport to get their animals to vets.
M Rodgers
North Square, Layton

Thanks to all for Illumathon help
THANKS to everyone who took part in the first Trinity Hospice Illumathon, a midnight half-marathon, and to those who have returned sponsorship money so promptly.
I would like to thank the following for their help: The Gazette's women's editor Elizabeth Gomm; Mike Chadwick, of Blackpool Council, PC Graham Mattock, Illuminations chief Michael Wilcock; Colour Sergeant Sam Johnson, 4th Battalion Duke of Lancaster Regiment; and Sainsbury's Supermarket.
Also thanks to everyone behind the scenes and local traders for donations.
My motivation was to say "thank you" to Trinity Hospice for care given to my grandad William Styles who died there on October 26,1986, and the aftercare to my mum.
The Illumathon is already marked on the calendar for the September 5 2009.
Tricia Ellis
Bispham

Tories have no answers
IT was interesting to read that David Cameron, Mark Simmonds and Coun Ron Bell, all of the Conservative party, went on a fact-finding tour in Blackpool to discover the issues affecting our town.
They obviously have little faith in the leader of the Conservative council, Peter Callow, and his cabinet members to move the regeneration of Blackpool forward, since the best they can come up with at the moment is to close St George's swimming pool.
Everyone in Blackpool has known about these issues for decades and Labour gave financial support for the improvements we've already seen.
Mrs A Hoyer
Caledonian Avenue, Blackpool