THE Ilkley Gazette has nothing but praise and admiration for the police who are on the front line of society's battle against crime, anarchy and mayhem.

The job of a police officer is difficult, demanding, often dangerous and deserving of all the support communities and newspapers can provide. This paper's commitment to helping the police carry out their functions in the Wharfe Valley is total and unequivocal.

We have no axe to grind against the police and will never lose sight of the real issues and whom we support on issues of law and order. However, as well as a wholehearted commitment to supporting the police, a community newspaper also has a responsibility to the people in whose interests it owes its existence - the residents of the community.

When the people of the area have lost confidence in the way strategic police decisions are taken and blame a rise in crime on the lack of police officers in the area, then it is the duty of the Ilkley Gazette to report those concerns without fear or favour.

Residents, community leaders and business people in the Wharfe Valley have been saying for a long time that there is a lack of a police presence, leaving the area vulnerable to criminals. They also say that recent changes in police deployment have exacerbated this problem.

When police say that the local media has a part to play in issues such as the fear of crime, we are not sure what interpretation to place on such a statement.

The Gazette has a duty to report local crime, as well as a duty to report what residents think about the way the town is policed.

On the other hand, the Gazette could stop reporting local crime stories and stop interviewing victims of crime or community leaders who would like to see more police on the streets as well as at the local police station.

Such a policy would be a dereliction of duty and unacceptable to our readers. We are not in any way going to back away from this issue until the people we represent feel, with some justification, that the job of protecting the community is carried out effectively and with adequate manpower.

The relevant issues at stake for the police to consider are deterring criminals, preventing crime, catching criminals and adequate manpower resources. Newspaper reports are a minor peripheral issue.