REGARDING Anthony Haworth's comments (Letters, September 5) about name badges symbolising the downward spiral of respect towards police officers, I find it difficult to believe that any member of society decides how much respect to show somebody by whether they have a name or number.

Police officers should be seen as icons of justice, not authority, as their status as law-enforcement officials does not in any way make them better people than the civilians they protect.

Respect should be shown because it is earned and trust should be placed in officers because they have shown that they can serve well in protecting people.

Respect should have nothing to do with the height of a police officer, as Mr Haworth stated in his letter. I think he has confused respect with fear, for anyone who shows more respect to a person because he is taller than them does so through intimidation and the one thing police offices should never do is intimidate.

As for familiarity breeding contempt, I think that any contempt shown towards police officers is bred through something much more serious -- an abuse of the power he speaks of.

However, when a policeman is courteous, rather than forceful and is aware that his job is to serve people, not intimidate them, then people will become much more positive towards the police force.

My final point is that authority should not be born out of fear, as he infers, but through trust and appreciation. Look no further than The Terminator and Robocop as examples of why this is true.

DAN CALDERBANK, Town Bent, Oswaldtwistle.