Letter: Police racism

Sir: Since we have a son who has been subjected to dozens of "routine stops" and harassed mercilessly by police officers I can agree with much of Ms Alibhai-Brown's article.

In my son's case he has been subjected to deliberate damage to his car, assault, wrongful arrest and much more. He has also sued the police and accepted an out of court settlement. But our family does have a problem with Ms Brown's views.

Our problem with Ms Brown's views is that we are a white, middle-class family and we do not see serious police malpractice as limited to conduct against Black and Asians.

This is not to say that Black and Asian people are not subjected to more than their fair share of police wrongdoing. But it is wrong not to recognise that many ordinary working-class white males suffer routinely at the hands of the police and an intellectually corrupt justice system.

I also agree that the system of self-investigation is bankrupt, with all too cosy a relationship between the police, Police Complaints Authority and Crown Prosecution Service.

MICHAEL CASSIDY

Ponteland, Northumberland