I call on our chief constable to protect the citizens of Sussex, and especially its MPs, from the unlawful intrusions of the Metropolitan Police.

Kent Police inform me they had no knowledge of the raid on Damian Green’s Ashford home and offices until the chief constable was informed while the raid was in progress.

He says he made no comment. How very restrained of him.

It is increasingly obvious that Mr Green had committed no crime as national security is not involved in the leaks.

Clearly the Met was improperly bowing to political pressure from the Labour Government to cover up its incompetence at the Home Office. A recent assistant commissioner has roundly said so. Further, it now emerges that in 1939 when Churchill’s future son-in-law Duncan Sandys MP received security information showing failings in our defences and refused to disclose his source, he was protected from prosecution at common law by parliamentary privilege.

The seizure of constituents’ correspondence is almost certainly at common law a breach of privilege.

It is quite extraordinary there is no obligation on an outside police force even to consult the local chief constable before such an illconceived foray is made.

These events must surely have unfairly damaged the reputation of the Kent Police and indeed of all police forces.

I call on our chief constable to join with his colleagues in insisting that he and his colleagues are first consulted before their manors suffers alien invasions.

Derek J Cole, Anglesea Terrace, St Leonards