3:18pm Monday 8th February 2010
What a shame that Labour’s Simon Burgess has chosen to attack Norman Baker MP and the Citizen’s Advice Bureau’s report on the issue of disproportional costs for individuals caught shoplifting (Letters, February 4).
The well-considered report rightly highlights an excessive practice, which can only be seen as draconian by any standards. The example of the 17 year old who was forced to pay £663 for a £5 crime highlights this.
These matters are far better dealt with by the police and the courts who will take proportional action against such criminal activities. Instead, these excessive practices could well push people on low incomes further into debt, rather than tackling the real social issues behind the crime.
What Simon Burgess seems to have forgotten is that if these companies had greater faith in his own party’s justice policies then perhaps this action wouldn’t be taken.
Surely our society is better than debates such as this? Next we will be discussing stoning in the streets.
Councillor Paul Elgood
Brighton and Hove Liberal Democrats
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