SIR – While on a bus recently, at the junction of Bowling Back Lane and Sticker Lane, the passengers were offered some unexpected entertainment.

Two police BMW patrol cars, fully clad with officers, had apprehended a Hyundai i30 (59 plate no less). To be stopped by one cruiser used to be serious enough, but by two, well all we needed was Dirty Harry himself to join in!

Four young men were being removed from the vehicle and they had one thing to bind them further together – they were all smiling and smirking – in fact they seemed proud to have been the reason for all the fuss. Rather than the fear of arrest, they appeared happier to be creating ‘street theatre’, trivialising the expense of so much police time and resources.

I got to thinking if this was the United States, stopping a car has one significant difference – the possible presence of firearms coupled to the unknown ‘mood’ of the suspects? Then how would US officers respond to folk laughing in their faces?

Maybe it’s just me, but should our police protocol try to remove the obviousness of such defiance – ie, take one suspect from the car to one police vehicle while other officers look after those remaining within the suspect vehicle?

No doubt there will be operational reasons why this will not be done, but all I could see that day was bus passengers watching this farce unfold before them, further fuelling the perception our police were on to a loser...

It is a real shame.

John Murphy, Cooper Lane, Bradford