IN the world today we are fettered and chained by an ever contagious web of red tape and health and safety drivel.

Criminals appear to have more rights than their victims – if we catch a burglar in our home and clobber him/her or use excessive force to restrain him/her, we find ourselves fined or imprisoned.

This was borne out to me a while ago when I came across a group of people helping a person on the ground who had been mugged. One of the helpers said to him: “The person who did this to you needs help."

No doubt that “helper” was another member of the ever increasing army of do-gooders who seem to have infiltrated our society at every level to the detriment of all concerned.

Name and addressed supplied, County Durham