The article in last Thursday’s Oxford Mail entitled “Car drag, mother left for dead” left me wondering whether Oxford's police officers actually live in the same world as the rest of us. The article informed readers that "the police said that they had an agreement" with a local private hire company "that their drivers could pick up fares without booking in advance."

This is an act absolutely contrary to government legislation, which states that only a purpose built taxi- cab licensed by Oxford City Council is authorised to pick up a fare in Oxford without being booked in advance.

If, over many years I had not attended a vast number of meetings with senior police officers on this very issue, I would have doubted the validity of your newspapers report.

Unfortunately, as a direct result of my attendance at those meetings I am not surprised in the least that police officers could possibly enter into such agreements with lawbreakers, let alone tell the local press that they have done so.

Perhaps common sense classes should be the first priority at their training school.

Illegal plying for hire is a very serious issue in Oxford.

Vulnerable members of the public have been, and continue to be, put at risk due to a lack of interest by our police officers.

The simple fact is, that in order to get the police to do something about anything of importance nowadays, there has to be the will to do it in the first place. Sadly they all too often appear to prefer entering into agreements rather than action.

ALAN WOODWARD, Bulan Road, Headington,Oxford