I WAS incensed to read the article 'Town mayor calls for police action' in last week's Times. Whilst it is not pleasant that numbers of youths are hanging around the town centre, I feel that the attacks made on the local police by Cllrs Sanders and Govier were unfair and disproportionate to the problem.

This isn't a new issue, groups of youngsters have been hanging around the town and Meadows areas for years and neither the police nor the town council have ever found a resolution.

In my experience I have always found our local police teams to be very efficient and effective when dealing with 'real crime' and I believe that they are doing their very best with the limited resources that they have.

Perhaps the mayor and the town council should use their elected powers and seek new ways of engaging and occupying the younger generation, thus reducing the burden on our already overstretched police resources?

P Pascoe-Smith

Tavistock