Sir – Your readers should watch out! The Thames Valley Police are about — and they are after your money. Last year they put out a leaflet to thousands of households in the area saying, in effect: “We do what you ask.” They claimed that we asked them to put up the police tax. As no one had asked me, I made a few enquiries and found the statement misleading to say the least.

What actually happened was that the police authority commissioned a telephone poll and rang 1,500 people, asking loaded questions. Then, in their pamphlet, they told us that 58 per cent of those polled were in favour of increasing the police tax element of our council tax.

They did not mention that they only polled 1,500 people (including 16 year olds) out of a public of one million-plus. In fact 870 people voted for a tax increase and 630 voted against.

I think that is an underhand way of trying to extort more tax from the public, particularly in view of the fact that nearly half of the people concerned are pensioners who are feeling the pinch far more than those in employment.

I shall protest to the chairman of the police authority, the chief constable and the Home Office over the way the TVP are presenting so-called public consultation.

So watch out now because they are at it again. The TVP are floating an online questionnaire and again it is loaded.

The introduction paints a picture of gloom and says that if we don’t have yet another increase in police tax we shall lose 15 police officers. It does not mean that at all. Savings can be found amongst the backroom boys and by streamlining administration.

I believe the police try to do a good job and that we should be able to trust them.

TVP, in comparison with other police forces, are underfunded because of the nature of their area and the Government should stump up more cash for them. But the TVP should not try such shabby tactics on the public it serves.

Eddie Duller, Summertown, Oxford