I DISAGREE wholeheartedly with L A O'Bee and his attitude towards the police (Letters, January 22).

He was responding to Jim Carter's In My View article in which he complained about his son being singled out by the police to be searched.

Experience has taught the streetwise police officer who to stop and who not to.

Mr O'Bee should remember that a terrorist threat still exists in this country and desperate times need desperate measures.

I would like to see a lot more powers given to the police. How can one catch terrorists or criminals without a police presence on our streets, whether the officers are in plian clothes or uniformed?

Mr O'Bee says that things have been creeping up on us over the last 30 years but no one has been taking any heed of the warning signs.

Come on now, we were fighting terrorists all of this time, both on our mainland and in Ireland.

A lot of laws have been introduced to counter this threat and I don't think the law goes far enough.

If terrorists are caught and are proven guilty they should be shot because they have lost all their human rights and should be dealt with accordingly.

As for the louts who walk our streets, they should bring back the cat o'nine tails and have no mercy on them.

JOHN FAHY, Lordshill, Southampton.