Letter: Law for all

Justice Secretary Ken Clarke's announcement that the law should be changed to allow householders to use "reasonable force" to protect their homes and families from intruders should be welcomed on two counts.

First, it gives us a glimmer of hope that this could, at last, signal an outbreak of common sense in relation to recognising the rights of decent, law-abiding citizens.

Second, it gives the certainty that this measure will bring the UK into direct conflict and hopefully prompt our withdrawal from the charter of that absurd circus, the European Court of Human Rights, which will, no doubt, find in favour of the first housebreaker who comes a cropper in the commission of crime and sues for assault.

Walter J Allan

Colinton Mains Drive

Edinburgh