As we live more or less comfortably in our homes at night, it's time to spare a thought for our police who do everything to keep us safe.

Why we have such a criminal underbelly in this country, that wants to commit heinous crimes against others in their communities, is hard to comprehend.

They wallow in it for money and never mind the misery they cause. They can't all have had rotten parents, and even if some have that background, they can still grow up to be model parents and citizens. But our domestic violence figures show nothing but a worsening environment. How can our children grow up confronting such terror in their lives?

But in all weather, risking everything, our police are there protecting us. We need to celebrate the role of our police, and we don't.

M Murray-Benge, Bethlehem (abridged).