THE ongoing spat between Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen and Labour supporter Barry Coppinger the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland has to stop in the interest of all parties.

If Mayor Houchen wants to close down Cleveland Police then go about it the correct way, talk to the Home Secretary and put forward a case, as Middlesbrough South MP Simon Clarke is doing.

Both sides seem to have forgotten the fact that an entire police service is having to pay the price of the row and the name calling that is going on. Men and women trying to serve the people of Cleveland do not need two grown ups behaving like children.

It must be remembered that the matter in question has nothing to do with whether or not Cleveland Police service is fit for purpose, it has to do with one man, the former Chief Constable Mike Veale who is alleged to have committed some form of misconduct.

Both sides have some element of right, but washing one’s dirty washing in public is not the actions of grown men, each trying to score political points over each other.

If the voting public are unhappy with Commissioner Coppinger then in 2020 use your vote to get rid of him, in the same way when Mayor Houchen comes up for re-election cast your vote as you see fit.

In the meantime, very hard-working police officers and support staff still have to go to work and do what each is paid to do – protect the public.

John Merry, Darlington