I READ with some considerable interest the stated fact by Gwent Police that there is a long standing decreasing trend in the number of drivers being pulled over by police for using mobiles while driving. This must be due to the continuing staffing decreases being imposed upon a service we depend upon. Every day on my travels I witness drivers flouting the law by using mobiles while driving. The reason without doubt in my mind is purely the fact that there are now less police officers about than we have been accustomed to seeing over the years and therefore less chance of offenders being caught. Appreciating that it is an offence now being dealt with differently by way of traffic offence reports rather than fixed penalty notices does not mean that this flouting of the law is decreasing. Indeed, for me I believe the opposite is the fact.
I am not in any way criticising the Police for a situation outside their control, merely the concerning matter that by decreasing financial resources it is obvious that not all manner of offence is detected due to less officers being available.

Jim Higginson
Caldicot