THE actions of Herefordshire’s police reported in the article on John ‘Jock’ McPhee’s drinking ban in Hereford do nothing to improve the public’s deteriorating opinion of our police departments (City drinking ban for homeless man, Hereford Times, November 20).

John is one of only 20 or so permanently homeless people who frequent the city. All are victims of life’s misfortunes, whether self-inflicted or otherwise.

Most do not cause ‘alarm and distress’ to the public.

Contrary to the approach of our police force is the approach of bodies such as the St Peter’s Feed the Homeless group, who each Sunday and two weekdays open their doors with sandwiches, soup and breakfasts for Jock and his friends.

Occasions have been recently witnessed whereby police officers have stopped homeless persons approaching St Peter’s, effectively preventing them from receiving the only sustenance on a week’s horizon, and moved them on.

On Remembrance Sunday, the local area was literally cleansed.

I understand a senior police officer has approached one such food centre requesting it to cease such provision on the grounds that it attracts ‘undesirables’ to the city.

I notice that the powers that can without difficulty suppress the likes of John McPhee are markedly absent in the early hours of Fridays and Saturdays when the pubs and clubs disgorge in their hundreds the habitual binge drinkers onto our streets.

Maybe the problems that thus result are best left to our street pastors, their church coffee, detox kitchens and mattresses.

I believe actions under this new Anti-Social Behaviour: Criminal Policing Act will be treated by the public with the derision it deserves.

In the meantime, Hereford has a new folk hero!

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