Chief superintendent Jeremy Paine said: "Extra officers will be in Brighton, providing a visible, reassuring police presence in the city" (The Argus, January 10).

I read this, about the forthcoming Brighton/Leeds football match, with incredulity. At best it was smug, at worst you wonder what planet he is on.

Where is the visible, reassuring police presence on Friday and Saturday nights, when the city centre, especially Churchill Square, becomes a no-go area, yet the police are invisible?

Why should I be forced to remain indoors for fear of physical violence from heroes who have drunk five pints of lager and think they are Bruce Willis?

The 24-hour bobby at Churchill Square was a great success but only lasted three weeks after it was exposed as a gimmick.

It seems the only police presence is at the odd football match, a party-political conference or as a rentamob at an anti-war demo.

For this, the police allocation of our council tax will no doubt increase yet again - and for what?

I arrived back at Brighton Station last Saturday from the Coventry game to find the bus bays were full of police vehicles.

On seeing this, my bus drove straight past, leaving me stranded.

I politely asked an extremely young-looking constable as to whether there were contingency plans so people didn't miss their buses and was told to go forth and multiply or I would be arrested.

No wonder they have lost the support of the public.

-Tony Booker, Brighton