With regard to the letter “Pride in police” (Letters, April 27): my wife is a member of a choir which rehearses in a college hall at Portslade. The outer doors to the building are normally locked, but during rehearsal about three weeks ago the members noticed a youth at the rear inside the hall apparently listening to the singing.

He disappeared shortly afterwards, and it was only then that a lady member noticed that her purse had been stolen from her handbag at the rear of the room.

The intruder’s image had been captured on CCTV, but when the theft was reported to the police that evening their response was, “We don’t attend that sort of thing”.

What are they there for if they cannot be bothered to look at a CCTV image which might have resulted in an arrest?

I was once proud to serve in Sussex Police as an inspector.

Not any more.

Ray Peskett, Mulberry Close, Shoreham