SIR - What a good idea! Somebody has come up with an excellent proposal - base the police pay rises on performance.

From what I have read in your paper over the last few years, most of the people who write letters about the police think as I do that the police on most occasions are very conspicuous by their absence.

So if the proposal comes to fruition it must mean a rate rebate for all taxpayers from the exorbitant amount the police take off us for being, in the most part, a waste of time.

Also, it has been revealed that they have over the last ten years had pay rises amounting to 39 per cent, which I would think is well over the rate of inflation.

P Windle, Spring Avenue, Keighley