THE senseless killing of Paul Rodgers by Leigh Page appears to have been basically due to a culture of threatening behaviour.

Evidence reported in the Wiltshire Times demonstrates that both men made serious threats. Either man could have gone home and locked himself in. Their actions make no sense at all.

The basis of their death threats was a dispute over a taxi fare. Yet it is an easy walk from the centre of Trowbridge to Broadcloth Lane. I live in the next road, Jasmine Way.

These young men had to take a taxi. They also felt that they needed to be threatening.

A few years ago I worked for Swindon Council as an engineer. One lunchtime I walked past a van illegally parked in a bus bay, with the occupants of the van casually chatting.

A bus came along and was forced to stop in the middle of the road. Bus passengers were getting off and on, with other vehicles threading between them.

I politely pointed out to the van occupants that they were endangering other people.

"Go away, or I will kill you" one of them said in a quiet, sober voice.

I made a note of the van's registration and reported it all to the police. They were fundamentally indifferent.

"Some people talk like that," a policeman told me.

Well, yes, quite. We can see the consequences.

JOHN BOWLEY,

Jasmine Way,

Trowbridge.