YOUR letter "Police numbers over the top" (Gazette, April 10, page 19), struck a chord.

During the 'Climate Camp' near Heathrow in summer 2007, the police spent £7million of our money on excessive and heavy-handed policing of a peaceful and legal camp on private land. This can only reinforce your correspondent's point: "The officers' time could be so much better spent deterring more serious crime." But in the case of climate camp, delete "more serious".

NIC FERRIDAY

Boston Gardens Hanwell

London W7 2AN