Victory for police

Convictions in the retrial of two men suspected of involvement in the murder of Stephen Lawrence (your report, 5 January) were secured by advances in forensic science since the crime took place.

Holding the police accountable when they make mistakes is essential, but it is grossly unfair to blame them for every aspect of the delay in arriving at this result.

The Macpherson Report claimed the police were institutionally racist, called for privately made racist statements to be criminalised and insisted double jeopardy be abolished.

But William Hague and others rightly observed the bien pensant have used it “as a stick to beat the police”, thus damaging morale and fueling a 30 per cent rise in street crime.

Macpherson’s “tendentious reasoning and illiberal recommendations” – to quote Michael Gove – impair effective policing, with police now blamed for every disorder, including last year’s riots.

(DR) JOHN CAMERON

Howard Place

St Andrews, Fife