SIR – As a serving police officer I was very disappointed to read the comments made within the letter, What police are worth (WHT, December 19). The writer has completely missed the point. The issue is not about missing out on £200. It is about the pr

SIR - As a serving police officer I was very disappointed to read the comments made within the letter, 'What police are worth' (WHT, December 19).

The writer has completely missed the point.

The issue is not about missing out on £200. It is about the principle of two sides going into negotiations, agreeing beforehand to be bound by any decisions made by the board, and then one side deciding, after the event, that they don't want to honour that agreement.

What the Home Secretary has done is dishonest and sets a very dangerous precedent for all public sector workers.

Can I also clear up some inaccuracies in the letter?

1. No, we are not the best paid in the world.

2. Yes, we are better paid than some other public sector workers, but we have no right to strike - to do so would be against the law. The only form of action we can take is to ask that the matter be addressed by a pay negotiating board, and as we have recently discovered this appears to count for little.

3. A comparison is made with teachers, but I'm not aware of teachers working shift work or always living with the possibility that their day off will be cancelled with short notice.

James Matthews, WGC.