What is it with Gloucestershire chief constables and money?

Only last week I was concerned to read that the last incumbent, Tim Brain, had expressed interest in becoming one of the new police commissioners – I have heard a salary of over £100,000 mentioned. This week the new man, Tony Melville, is saying he cannot maintain the service without more money. As he is already closing all the police stations in the Forest I presume he means maintain the service in Cheltenham and Glou­cester.

We are magnanimously told a police 'presence' will be maintained in the Forest. I suppose this could be a desk next to the checkouts in Tesco's. Well, they do say every little helps.

Sightings of real policemen, as opposed to Blunkett's 'Bobbies', are now so rare that if they were birds there would be massive gatherings of 'twitchers' to see and photograph them.

Many of the men covering the Forest do not know the area. I heard of a recent episode where an officer was sent to an ongoing incident in Forest Road, Lydney. The man being sent was already at Parkend. About 20 minutes later he arrived – having gone via Bream!

Just a final point of interest. When I started to write this letter I had momentarily forgotten the name of the current chief constable so to get it I googled 'Gloucestershire Chief Constable' on the internet. To my astonishment precisely 500 websites were listed. All except one referred to Dr. Tim Brain, OBE, QPM, etc, etc. I don't know what that says but it must say something.

– B.C. Baker, Allastone Road, Lydney.