Nicholas Soames continues to open mouth before engaging brain in demanding former police officers should be sent to Iraq to help the civil authorities (The Argus, April 15).

Does this buffoon, who parachuted into safe Mid Sussex because he was scared of fighting his marginal seat in Crawley, not think that, perhaps, ex-police officers might have something else to do?

Yes, a lot of officers retire early and many are still young but this is the nub, too old for modern police work.

They are not sitting on their backsides watching the world go by. I retired from the Army at 41 after 22 years' service as I was considered too old to continue soldiering.

But, I had a life to get on with and a family to provide for so I began a second career though I miss the Army life tremendously.

I now have an extremely interesting and well-paid job that my service career assisted me in obtaining.

Ex-police officers are also continuing with their lives and I would suspect that though they may also miss their former life, they have no interest in going to Iraq as Mr Soames thinks they should.

-Rod Ackers, Portslade.