This new year I have resolved to express my appreciation and backing for our frontline public services, such as nurses, teachers, firefighters and police.

For decades they have faithfully served the community but now suffer desperately from staff shortages.

Many nurses are paid less for a year's work than some professional footballers get for a couple of days. Nurses are highly trained and perform life-saving duties in unsocial hours, while footballers play a sport which millions are happy to do for nothing. No wonder overseas recruitment for nurses is so necessary. Surely our national priorities are wrong. Teachers are grossly undervalued and criticised all too often. While a governor at seven schools locally, I saw at first hand their dedicated professionalism.

We tend to take for granted our firefighters' courage and efficiency.

Bobby bashing is now a popular pastime. Often the police find themselves in a can't win situation, accused of either delay and inefficiency or of over-reacting. Faced with a shortage of operational officers and an escalation of serious crime they have difficulty in coping.

A lack of public esteem can easily create a morale-sapping situation but constructive criticism must never be condemned.

-Jim Marshall, Goldstone Crescent, Hove