I feel Simon Stone's heartfelt complaint may have been more to do with embarrassment when, in his own words, he was reprimanded in front of a "young and attractive female PCSO" for having a dirty and illegible rear number plate (Oxford Mail, October 9).

For the police it appears to be a case of 'damned if they do (their job) and damned if they don't'.

In the grand scheme of things, dirty number plates, weirdly printed though unreadable ones or vehicles with no number plates are not conducive to vehicle identification, whether it be for those being driven without insurance or, heaven forbid, in the case of a hit-and-run.

It should matter to all of us and the police have to start somewhere.

Hurt feelings, unfortunately, have to be secondary. I would hope that this particular police constable is just as vigorous, though, in his pursuit of people mindlessly using their mobile phones while driving.

SHIRLEY NELDER Dene Road Headington Oxford