I AGREE with the sentiments of Robert Readman’s recent letter “Not customers, they’re criminals”.

This lack of care for victims but help for criminals has been developing over some years, of which I have personal experience, being unfortunately a victim of crime, some petty some not, on several occasions over recent years.

The last occasion was where two drunken people were damaging cars in the street at 2am while I was asleep, causing so much noise the police were called, who found them jumping up and down on my car in my back garden, damaging it beyond repair.

I had just finished renovating it for the MoT; it was off road and uninsured.

One criminal admitted damaging one car in the street and asked for eight other offences, including mine, to be taken into consideration. The other person, incredibly, denied involvement.

I heard nothing for two months. I contacted the police who told me the case had already been dealt with.

The first person was fined £100 for damaging one car, the others, including mine not taken into consideration.

I asked for a transcription of the court proceedings but these “could not be found”.

The second individual had proven involvement after the police carried out a forensic examination. The police called him in and, under caution, he admitted smashing up my uninsured car. The police then let him go with no charges. I was not informed of any of this.

I then asked the police for the personal details of this second criminal, including copies of his admission of guilt under caution and a copy of the forensic evidence so that I could pursue him through the courts to cover my uninsured loss.

The police refused to help me and, after extended correspondence, finally offered me the opportunity to take them, the police, to court to try to get the information.

I was told by the Police Administration that it was extremely likely that due to the Data Protection Act, the Human Rights of the Criminal, (as he would be disadvantaged should I pursue him through the courts), and his rights to privacy, the court would almost certainly take the view that my rights as the mere victim would not be of sufficient value to receive the information.

However I still collected the necessary papers from the court, but then found that I would be unable to afford the action anyway.

So I decided to give up.

NAME and address supplied