On Easter Saturday, I came across what appeared to be a small, peaceful and good-humoured protest outside Sainsbury's supermarket in London Road, Brighton.

The protest was against the planned development of Brighton Station site on which Sainsbury's wants to build a supermarket with nearly 200 parking spaces.

I was surprised at how many police (almost as many as there were protesters), had menacingly surrounded them.

No one can deny the need to ensure protests are conducted peacefully.

However, with such a shortage of bobbies on the beat and rising levels of violent street crime, including a recent murder and a homophobic hate attack, one would think a more discreet police presence at this type of protest would be a more effective use of time.

This would release officers to concentrate on street patrols rather than to over-police protests on issues about which many in the community feel concerned.

-Simon Williams, Denmark Terrace, Brighton