Letters We'd Like to See

Dear Eric Pickles,

I am writing to protest in the strongest possible terms at the intrusive presence of CCTV cameras in supermarkets, newsagents and other shops. Current legislation appears to give shop owners a snooper's charter - allowing them to vicitimize shoplifters such as myself, no matter how trivial our thefts. From the cameras' numbers and positioning it's hard to avoid the conclusion that they are placed with the specific intention of catching people out. Some shops even boast that they "Always Prosecute" - a truly brazen admission of vindictiveness.

Isn't it about time that the Government stepped in to protect ordinary, decent citizens, who may be doing nothing more harmful than palming a tin of baked beans or a packet of cheese for their own consumption, and started going after the real criminals, such as the speeding drivers whose recklessness causes over 3,000 deaths and serious injuries in the UK every year?

Isn't it time you got your priorities straight?

All the best,

Winona Barnett

Letters We'd Like to See

Dear Eric Pickles,

I am writing to protest in the strongest possible terms at the intrusive presence of CCTV cameras in supermarkets, newsagents and other shops. Current legislation appears to give shop owners a snooper's charter - allowing them to vicitimize shoplifters such as myself, no matter how trivial our thefts. From the cameras' numbers and positioning it's hard to avoid the conclusion that they are placed with the specific intention of catching people out. Some shops even boast that they "Always Prosecute" - a truly brazen admission of vindictiveness.

Isn't it about time that the Government stepped in to protect ordinary, decent citizens, who may be doing nothing more harmful than palming a tin of baked beans or a packet of cheese for their own consumption, and started going after the real criminals, such as the speeding drivers whose recklessness causes over 3,000 deaths and serious injuries in the UK every year?

Isn't it time you got your priorities straight?

All the best,

Winona Barnett