SIR – Once again, I ask why politicians do not face a problem head-on?

If you wish to prevent binge drinking, the answer is not to increase the cost of cheap alcohol.

All this will do is penalise the poorest members of society who only drink small amounts. The binge drinkers will carry on regardless.

Binge drinkers as a whole are not the problem. The drinkers who cannot handle their drink, and their behaviour becomes offensive, or they commit crimes of violence and/or damage are the problem.

Arresting these people and letting them off with a warning is no deterrent. Heavy fines for binge-drinking criminals will punish the right people and not everyone.

Making the payment of court fines mandatory from a criminal’s source of income will mean that their employers will find out their behaviour. This could be the biggest deterrent of all.

Those out of work will not be able to afford to drink to such excesses. If they do, then punish them in the same way.

Keith Rayner, Laburnum Drive, Baildon