We have just received our council tax bill for the coming year. I noticed with great interest, under the heading "policing", that there will be a total of 375 police community support officers (PCSOs) paid for by the public.

In wages alone this will cost about £8 million - more when you consider the price of the uniforms that are used to make them appear like "real" police officers, and this for people who cannot actually arrest anybody.

I know they carry out the most basic tasks but in days of hospital cutbacks and other vital services being lost, can we really afford to continue with this failed experiment? At least transfer the money to fund fully trained police officers who can deal with a crime if they see it.

  • Brian Cowles, Freehold Street, Shoreham