FIRSTLY I would like to say that The Northern Echo’s 40th Anniversary reporting of the Miner’s Strike appears to be very biased against the Police.

Can I remind everyone that this strike was not official, there had not been a vote and that was why there were miners who were working.

From the very beginning I always thought it was a shame that Joe Gormley, a more moderate leader, was still not leader of the NUM as I am sure there wouldn’t have been the strife there was under the leadership of the hard-left rabble rouser, Arthur Scargill.

I could never understand why he never called a proper ballot, as at one time I am sure he would have won, but it could be the case that if he had lost, he would have no reason to use the miners to bring down the Thatcher government, which was one of his reasons to strike.

To return to the policing at Easington where the Echo were showing pictures of the police with riot shields, supposedly intimidating the residents.

I was PSU trained, meaning riot trained, and on the quite a few occasions I was at Easington I never, or my fellow officers, were armed with shields.

Could it be that the pictures shown of police with shields, was after the riot at Easington caused by miners from another colliery who caused thousands of pounds worth of damage and threw coach bolts and any other missiles at the police they could find.

Getting back to the pictures of ‘Jossy’ being arrested by the Police, ‘The police were just bullies’ (Echo, Mar 9).
 
Read more: The story behind the harrowing arrest images as man's wife begs police for mercy
 

I admit, the pictures themselves do not do the Police any favours, of a strapping officer arresting tiny ‘Jossy’.

But there is always two sides of a story, or picture in this case.

If there was another side, the article, conveniently didn’t publish it, but if it was, that Jossy was just trying to go home, then a bit of common sense should have prevailed.

Thomas Ball, Barnard Castle.