Last week your newspaper reported the chief constable predicting that Wiltshire would be in dire trouble almost anarchy in the streets because central government might cut the funding to the county police authority.

This prediction might be taken a little more seriously and the police authority receive wider local support if it was less committed to wasteful prestigious projects such as the £500,000 replacement Trowbridge police station.

Yes, we do need an improved police presence in Trowbridge, particularly in areas such as Studley Green.

We could also benefit from a police 'shopfront' in the town centre that was open around the clock.

What we do not need is a fancy architect designed, 'dome like', citadel.

The police authority should sell the present Trowbridge building and site for a goodly sum, rent a shopfront or similar, and run the rest of the operation from Semington.

In doing this it could not only save a considerable amount of money but also deploy the resources onto the streets where they are urgently needed.

With such imaginative, lateral thinking, the police authority would deservedly merit increased public support.

Instead, it remains thoughtlessly committed to prestige projects and routinely crying wolf.

Jeff Osborn,

County councillor,

Trowbridge West.