I AM not a police apologist. I acknowledge that the policing of the Hillsborough disaster was very poor indeed and those families who suffered have every right to feel desperately let down.

However, having served for almost 30 years in the police I feel I can give some context to the continuing Hillsborough debate.

G Bulmer uses the Hillsborough example to question the integrity of police culture and the notion that the police are serving the whole of society (HAS, Apr 30). Such strong comments illustrate the real danger of a witch hunt and do not take account of the massive changes in policing and society since the 1980s.

The Hillsborough independent panel supported Lord Justice Taylor's view that the disaster was in part due to serious policing errors resultant upon failures in leadership and the officers' tendency to view the problem as one of public order as opposed to crowd welfare.

I know from experience that policing of events in the 1980s was dominated by issues of crowd disorder. This does not excuse the lamentable level of policing response but does, in part, explain it.

Society and the police have changed hugely since 1989.

I worked in many areas of policing in the 20 years subsequent to Hillsborough. I know that policing became more organised and efficient, and that the service culture typified by the vast majority of officers was of the highest standard.

There are parallel ongoing enquiries into both the Hillsborough event and its aftermath to ascertain if any individuals will face criminal charges. This is not the time to make premature assumptions of what those enquiries will result in, nor is it right to use a 30-year-old event to judge today's modern day police service.

John Crick, Bishop Auckland.

I READ with disgust an article claiming that the former Chief Superintendent Rick Naylor commended the actions of his officers on the day of the Hillsborough disaster (Echo, Apr 29), especially in the wake of the revelation of lies and deceit.

Even if some of his officers did do, as he said, a good job do the loss of 96 lives really equate to a good job.

In my eyes these failings were tantamount to mass murder.

J Richardson, Shildon.