Graham Forster writes to the Editor

Graham makes a strong case for home owners to be able to protect their opwn property

Dear Ray,

Sir John Stevens, the country's most senior police officer, has spoken out over the vexed question of people being able to defend themselves in their own homes. He states, quite correctly in my view, that householders should only be prosecuted in such cases where gratuitous violence has been used against the miscreants. At present, the law states that "only reasonable force" may be used, which is nonsense as one person's idea of reasonable may be totally different to another. And confronted with such a situation, you could be maimed or even killed whilst you mulled over how reasonable you should be with your force.

I think that the problem is completely black-and-white. If you discover somebody in your home that has not been invited, if that person misbehaves in a criminal way, then you should be at liberty to treat them in any way that you see fit so long as the reaction does not constitute gratuitous violence. An Englishman's home is his castle as the old adage goes and as soon as our law-makers wake up to this, the criminal will have to think twice before he breaks and enters.

Yours sincerely,

Graham Forster