SIR - In a recent North of Watford column, Mike Priestley recounts a lady reader's nightmare walk around what had been a traditional shopping route and the shock and intimidation experienced on her journey.

I suspect the lady is of an era many of us can remember, of a happier Bradford where the more friendly familiarity of places and people was reassuring.

We all have to accept that nothing is forever but what annoys me are the people in their ivory towers pontificating about how perfectly safe the streets of Bradford are when recent events suggest otherwise!

It makes me wonder - do these people actually live in the area? Do they actually spend any length of time walking on the streets of our city, particularly after dark?

Do they feel safe without an adequate and reassuring police presence? And we are talking only about the city centre here!

As the lady's nightmare journey testifies, we can only believe the evidence of our own eyes.

What were those wise, wise political words of an address that ended: "But you cannot fool all of the people all of the time"?

Keith Sivyer, Dalecroft Rise, Allerton