REGARDING Jeremy Whiting’s comment that organised crime had fraudulently obtained billions of pounds during the Covid crisis (HAS, Feb 17), I hope he was not referring to the taxpayers’ money that has been dished out by the Government to their friends and cronies without due diligence.

Maybe he instead actually meant the thousands of pounds per hour that is being handed to financial companies and individuals for advising the advisors who advised other advisors. Most of which has failed to produce positive results.

Perhaps these criminals are those that year after year manage with impunity to underestimate and squander money on military and infrastructure projects.

I should think that those in organised crime can only envy the unaccountable waste of funds that has occurred in the last year, particularly when the pandemic has, if nothing else, highlighted the lack of resources going to the NHS and elderly care sector.

B Jackson, Sacriston.