Sir – I was walking along a road near my home one night recently when a man called out to me from behind to stop and come to him. He was not wearing a helmet or any hat and in the dark I could not make out the detail of any uniform, but I was later satisfied that he was a policeman and a very pleasant one.


He asked me for ID and I would have liked to produce an official ID card but unfortunately our Government does not issue us with ID cards. I did have a bus pass with me. He apparently did not fully accept that and remarking that I had hesitated to approach him (which I thought was not surprising), he said he would radio for the information held on the police computer.


Meanwhile, he insisted on ‘detaining’ me. Finally it ensued that there was no mention of me whatsoever on the police computer, so he let me go.
What is wrong with that? Well, all that he input into the police computer was the name on the ID which he didn’t fully accept and the date of birth which I had told him and could have made up.


The proceedings would not have apprehended anybody who had not been apprehended before and did not even verify my story that I lived locally and had done so for many years.


I do wish our Government would follow the example of most others and issue us with proper identity cards, which would be so very useful in banks and many other circumstances nowadays.


Roger Moreton, Oxford