I read with interest the letters about the recent demonstrations about the badger cull in Saltdean.

The duty of the police is very clear. We have to protect people and property. We also have to ensure peaceful and lawful protest.

We had to balance the protesters' rights with the needs of the householders, some of whom are elderly. There was a wide range of people who came to Saltdean to demonstrate, from pensioners to schoolchildren, which our policing style had to reflect.

I personally spent time talking to the people who demonstrated and found them co-operative. Sadly, some Saltdean residents were threatened and I was duty-bound to act to provide a reassuring police presence.

Often extremists infiltrate perfectly peaceful protests and use innocent people to shield their real activity. We had reliable intelligence some hard-line activists who had previous convictions, including damage and violence at protests, were going to Saltdean. This proved to be true in that at least one of these people attended the protest. I believe the measure of our action was that no crime or disorder took place.

We filmed the largest demonstration of more than 200 people on the Saturday. Filming is a tactic we never use as a first resort because we are mindful of the sensitivities of all people present.

It is, however, very effective because it deters those intent on causing trouble and protects people who are doing nothing wrong, exactly the same as the use of CCTV in shops, buses and restaurants.

The badger cull was a highly emotive issue and it is right people were able to demonstrate. The police have to remain neutral and negotiate with Defra but I believe Brighton and Hove Police played a significant role in facilitating an agreement between all parties thus preventing an escalation in the dispute, which would have been in nobody's interests. I believe we have reached an agreement which will secure the badgers' future.

I thank those residents and protesters for their letters of support regarding the reassuring policing style we adopted and will continue to be mindful of sensitivities of people when deploying video cameras.

-Peter Coll, Superintendent Crime and Operations, Brighton and Hove Police Division