The day before the Labour Party conference, I was in Brighton.

The place was swarming with police in cars and vans, on bikes and patrolling the streets.

Steel screens blocked your progress everywhere and all to protect a few washed-up politicians from a probably non-existent threat.

Since then, I have seen two middle-aged female community support officers in Burgess Hill, a police car at Pyecombe and another on the M40. I have also seen a few police at Gatwick and Heathrow airports.

Following the conference, I have been to Geneva and although Switzerland only has a small Navy, it seems to have a lot of police.

I have also been to Lisbon, Portugal, where the police were visible, heavily armed but mostly rather short, and to France, where they were heavily armed but refreshingly tall and ugly. (Imagine how much presence a heavily-armed, tall, ugly, shaven-headed copper has on the streets.)

Why do some countries have highly-visible police forces and some don't?

And why is our police force only allowed out when the Government is in town?

-Chris Rackley , Burgess Hill