A LETTER in last week's Shuttle/Times and News chastises those who have the temerity to criticise the police for not dealing with the serial vandalism reported almost weekly in this newspaper.

Coincidentally, the same edition of the newspaper has an article likening the Horsefair in Kidderminster to war-torn Bosnia, Albania and Kosovo and reports of a "campaign of vandalism" at the Salvation Army centre.

Previous recent articles have covered the numerous incidents at Wyre Forest Golf Club, repetitive damage to vehicles in Bewdley and cars being torched on Spennells.

Also, how many more shop windows need to be broken or BT phone boxes wrecked before those responsible are caught?

The letter writer says the police are hampered by a lack of resources and are doing their best.

Resources may be part of the problem, but this is not the point. The deployment of available resources and setting of priorities is the main issue.

The police may be doing their best, but this is not good enough and changes need to be made.

Why can't problematic areas have a more visible police presence and why can't more use be made of CCTV, or other forms of covert surveillance?

DAVID JONES

Granville Crest

Kidderminster