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Talking rubbish

I read with great interest the comments made by the Police Commissioner about how the Wiltshire force has come second in a national poll for its links with the communities.

I can’t honestly remember the last time I saw either a police or community officer on the beat, either in the local area or town centre.

Across the country police numbers have been falling, due to cuts by the government. Consequently, crime has increased while detection numbers have fallen. Last year, a family member of mine was burgled and the culprits were never found or brought to justice.

Everyday, I see car/van owners deliberating breaking the law, whether it be speeding or going through red lights, but there is no police presence. Consequently, no deterrent. So people do what they want knowing they won’t get caught and I’m convinced that the increase in the number of accidents is a direct consequence.

Last year, I had reason to report an incident to the police when I experienced an attempted assault while riding my bike. I rang the non-emergency number 111. What a nightmare it was. It took in excess of 20 minutes to get through, so when I hear a politician say that crime is falling, it makes me laugh. It’s simply because you cannot get an answer straightaway.

I think the Police Commissioner should get in the real world and take a stroll around the town and he will see the same as well all do. I don’t really know a lot about his position and whether he receives a salary or not, but if he does then it seems a good job to have if, like him, you can talk niff naff and trivia, get paid a king’s ransom for doing so and achieve diddly squat.

Alan Wilson, Shapwick Close, Swindon

Stop building new

We have been told by the powers that be that we should be careful about how much water that we use and yet everywhere you look they are building new houses.

Some of those houses have two bathrooms which have showers or baths and they need to use, guess what, water. It’s about time we said enough is enough and stopped building any more.

It’s not as though the people who need a home can get one of these new houses. They are mostly bought be people with money who rent them out and make more money.

Mrs Townsend, Redcliffe Street, Rodbourne

The good old days

We were talking recently, friends and myself, about the changes within the medical profession.

Things have changed for me, personally, beyond all recognition. Theses changes took place this year in March when my GP retired. I had no problem with his practice and could see a doctor within two days maximum. Since he retired and another practice has taken over, things have changed beyond all recognition.

The average waiting time is in the region of four weeks. Four weeks? I could be dead before I see the doctor.

What happened to the doctors of old? Were we so privileged because they were so much better than those of today? Yes, the population has grown but surely the amount of doctors studying should rise also, thus alleviating these problems.

We, and by that I mean the government of the day, are intent on chucking money at the NHS but without any plans to improve its efficiency. That there is a problem needs to be addressed and solutions that work should be found.

Whatever is needed must be done otherwise we are going to become another third world country. This from the country that used to have the best medical service in the world and, I might add, not too long ago.

Maybe its the so-called, professional managers who believe they know everything and insist it must be done their way, I suspect on highly inflated salaries.

David Collins, Blake Crescent, Swindon