REGARDINGo Derek Pattison’s letter about the risks taken by police (HAS, Sept 26), I say to him – get real.

If he had bothered to check on the circumstances regarding the death of a man during the G20 summit in London five years ago he would have found that former policeman Simon Hardwood had previously faced a disciplinary hearing after a road rage incident.

The force this policeman used on news vendor Ian Tomlinson was totally excessive.

To call ex-PC Hardwood an officer is a disgrace to the force which he was supposed to represent.

The term “thug” would be more appropriate.

There is no comparison between the deaths of the policewomen murdered in Manchester recently and that of Mr Tomlinson.

Perhaps living at Frosterley Mr Pattison does not get out much and see the real world.

Name and address supplied.