SIR – On Sunday, March 15 I saw a uniformed police officer playing and helping a woman wash her car. His marked police car was parked nearby. This was the fourth time I had seen him near my work place while on duty. I contacted Herts police to inform the

SIR - On Sunday, March 15 I saw a uniformed police officer playing and helping a woman wash her car. His marked police car was parked nearby.

This was the fourth time I had seen him near my work place while on duty. I contacted Herts police to inform them of the matter.

I was called back by a senior officer who told me the man in question had a reasonable excuse for doing this but had been told not to do it so regularly.

A reasonable excuse for socialising on duty? A reasonable excuse for being paid to do a job and not doing it? A reasonable excuse for having a marked car taken out of circulation? I think not. I couldn't be told what the excuse was of course.

Unfortunately I saw the same problem with another officer last year who would regularly visit his girlfriend where I live for an hour, while on duty and again in a marked car.

When will standards of behaviour be enforced by Herts police?

I am sick of inflation busting tax rises for them and being told they are far too bust to attend calls.

There is a dangerous attitude in this force that allows officers to do as they please with no consequences.

There is no discipline and those in charge don't seem to know where they are or what they are doing.

Worse, they have no interest in knowing.

Paperwork doesn't keep officers from doing their job. Idleness and indiscipline does.

Name and address supplied.