REGARDING the report in the Evening News (April 23) about police recruitment in West Mercia, what nonsense spoken by Labour MP Mike Foster to say that the increase in recruitment figures is due to the commitment of the Labour Government.

What does he mean by saying the new recruits are real people doing real training and will soon be on our streets and walking through our estates? Have police officers not been real people in the past?

Mike Foster should realise that police recruitment has fallen under his government, not increased. He and his Labour Government should listen to the Police Federation representatives.

He should also realise that in West Mercia Constabulary, more officers are retiring monthly than are being recruited.

So why all this propaganda about recruitment in the police service in West Mercia or, for that matter, in other constabularies?

MR J JENKINS,

Worcester.