Sir – It comes as no surprise that the Thames Valley Police performed badly last year (Report, March 18). It is just too large, in fact one of the largest in the country. As the influential think tank Reform reported last year the smaller the police force the better it is at catching criminals and solving crime.

The large forces which have been created have more to do with centralising control in the Home Office rather than performing a public service and, as Britain has the most expensive police in the world, the public is getting poor value for money.

Large organisations grow and dissipate their activities so that the original purpose is often obscured. Reform called for the Thames Valley force to be dismantled and five smaller forces created, based on basic command units of the existing organisation and local authority areas. It is an idea which seems to have immense benefits.

Paul Hornby, Oxford