About four years ago, it was not unusual for me to grunt, oink or snort whenever I passed a police officer, because my experiences with them had made me believe they were homophobic, racist and weren't to be trusted.

Chief Inspector Peter Mills, who is now based in the Eastbourne area, altered my perception of the police with his approach to the police management of Brighton and Hove Pride, as well as his accessible manner in other matters.

I subsequently altered my behaviour and attitude towards the police. However, my belief about homophobia within the police force remains.

Sergeant Mark Andrews was recently promoted above the rank of police constable thanks to his excellent policing style, as well as for his commitment to educating fellow officers by correcting misconceptions they may have had about the diverse communities they serve.

Sgt Andrews now leads a team of officers who have the trust of most of the gay community and other communities, too.

This change is due to the modification of police behaviour and attitude.

Many personal assaults and crimes were previously unreported, because most gays knew police sympathy and action wouldn't be forthcoming.

This is now not the case, with more homophobic crimes being reported and the culprits being prosecuted and punished accordingly.

I find the continuing reporting by The Argus on the fact-finding mission by some Sussex Police to the US unnecessary and potentially damaging to these officers' self-esteem and commitment to the population in Brighton and Hove.

The article (The Argus, May 30) by Adrian Kwinter merely trawled previous reports without adding any additional material. I wonder why the newspaper deemed it necessary to re-write this story.

We all require skill updates to enable us to be more effective at work. Sgt Andrews and community liaison officer Lisa Timerick were lucky to win a bursary, which allowed them to compare problems and learn from their counterparts in the US. Their new knowledge will be used to the benefit of Sussex and national police

officers and subsequently, local people - even Tory councillor Peter Willows in Hangleton and Knoll.

The bursary was awarded following a selection process. It could have been won by an officer outside Sussex and used for the collection of snail DNA in tropical environments, or for the study of passenger behaviour in confined spaces.

Councillor Willows probably wouldn't have made this an issue if Sgt Andrews and Officer Timerick had spent their rest periods in a Conservative club sipping dry sherry, discussing why Labour had, once again, won the General Election, instead of, as they actually did, enjoying themselves in a gay club while observing gay behaviour patterns - which was probably part of their bursary conditions, anyway.

I wonder about Mr Willows' agenda. However, we are all aware of Sgt Andrews and Officer Timerick's agenda and I look forward to benefiting from their new knowledge and skills.

-Terry Wing, Brighton