POOR Chief Supt Lord. She really is too sensitive.

Given your front page story that violent crime in Redditch has risen by almost 150 percent, surely she is being unfair to your correspondent who asked 'Is Redditch a safe place to live?' (Letters, July 10).

In fact, all crime figures may well be even worse as many people do not report crime on the basis that the police are unwilling or unable to act.

If our Government and senior police officers were honest, they would admit very few parts of the UK can really be regarded as safe.

Mr Blair promised, in one of his many election soundbites, to be "Tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime". Of course, he has done neither.

What we get is what Ms Lord calls 'initiatives.'

Under this Government, policing, health and education are full of 'initiatives'. New ones start almost weekly and certainly before the last one is completed. Most of them achieve very little.

If Ms Lord and the Government were to listen to the rank and file officers and the public, they would know what we want is officers on the beat. This would reduce crime and reassure the public.

If Ms Lord decides to call me 'hysterical,' as she did your correspondent, I hope she has the courage to name me rather than write a rather offensive letter attacking an unnamed member of the public who voiced fears shared by many.

Michael Braley

Birchfield Road

Headless Cross