SUSSEX Police have announced that officers have conducted "high visibility" patrols in Shoreham, centred on Buckingham Park, Ferry Road and on the beach where huts had been damaged.

It also carried out similar action in Arundel town centre and in the grounds of St John's

Church in Copthorne.

They all followed on from reports of antisocial behaviour and criminal damage taking places in each of these places.

I would like to make the following suggestion to the force.

If you actually want to catch the perpetrators of these offences, as opposed to just issuing press releases telling the public that your officers are "out and about engaging with the local community and businesses", would it not be a good idea if your patrols were of the "highly

invisible" variety - plain-clothed coppers - who would actually have a chance of apprehending these yobs, as opposed to uniformed staff in their high-viz jackets, each one emblazoned with a very large POLICE sign, that ensure that every local villain will "act innocent" as soon as they appear on the scene, only to resume their unacceptable and illegal activities once the officers involved leave the locality, having completed this, their latest meet and greet publicity stunt?

Eric Waters

Lancing