I AM becoming more and more alarmed at what is happening in our country.

It is still a relatively peaceful and law-abiding democracy but the signs of it descending to the depths of a third rate dictatorship are increasing by the day.

A few years ago, we were all assured that the police would not be armed, now it is a frequent occurrence for the public to come across our guardians of law and order fairly bristling with firearms and other potentially lethal gadgets.

Recently one of your readers has advocated that we should all have firearms in order to defend our property.

Accepting that the bulk of our property is worth human lives and not just consumerist rubbish to be replaced with more of the same next year, does it not occur to this Brain of Britain that Burglar Bill will also be armed and will shoot first rather than risk a bullet in the back.

Recently in your columns, Mr F Price admitted that he was moved to retaliate when eggs were thrown at his window. Supposing he had had a gun and flipped.

It does not bear thinking about. The sad thing is that he seems incapable of asking the egg throwers to stop.

Censorship is on the increase. I am not allowed to say what I might think on racial matters, or write them.

Soon, if the control freaks, who call themselves a government, have their way, either my Pope or my Paisley jokes will get me locked up.

Now, it seems, it is proposed, under the convenient cover of anti- terrorism, that the Government will have the power to lock up anyone it feels like locking up, without charge and with no prospect of a trial.

Armed police, censorship, arrest without trial, persecution for airing religious beliefs I thought that a lot of good men and women gave their lives to avoid all that.

R J HARVEY

Pound Close

Lyneham

Chippenham