What a great group of characters was portrayed in the police photo sent in by John Chisnall (Weekend, February 24-25).

Given the powers they had then, if these policemen could be transported to the year 2001 and were back on the beat, Brighton and Hove would be the envy of the country as regards crime.

As a 10-year-old in the Thirties, it was a policeman such as one of these who saved me from becoming a hardened criminal.

We kids in Southampton Street decided on a 15-a-side football match in the street. Being the only one who always had a ball, I went indoors to get one.

I went back into the street, kicked the tennis ball across to the kids, not noticing a passing policeman was talking to the gang. He booked me and that evening I had to report to the police station underneath Brighton Town Hall with my mother.

The half-hour lecture I received from the duty sergeant would have made Bill Sykes cringe, so what it did to a ten-year-old beggars belief. It has kept me on the straight and narrow throughout my life.

I still don't know what crime I committed.

-Frank Edwards, Craven Road, Brighton