My burglary, so I'm led to believe, was a pretty low-key event.

Damage was minimal, my home was not soiled, nor was there any graffiti left by the burglar.

I'm told I ought to be traumatised (whatever that means) by the intrusion but I'm not.
I regret that some items that I valued have gone but that's as far as it goes.

The police did a good job and they phoned me the other day to tell me that someone had admitted to the burglary and they confidently expected that the offender would receive a custodial sentence next month.

This person was, they added, a habitual offender who stole to fund an addiction to drugs.

As you can see, we are not dealing with the crime of the century here but I don't want it to happen again and I wonder whether sending a drug addict into a prison system which is, by all accounts, awash with illegal drugs is the best way to prevent it.

I can't help thinking that this person is going to emerge in a year or two with the addiction reinforced, rather than cured, and with crime still being the only means of satisfying it.

Moreover, it will be found that things haven't stood still while in prison because there have been some "nibbles" at the supply-side of the enormous drugs trade by, among other things, the closing of cannabis factories (C&E, August 23) and these have put up prices a bit; check the theory of supply and demand in any economics text book.

Now even more crimes will need to be committed to pay for the addiction.

Portcullises are lowered and guard dogs left unfed, the better to defend against any future intrusions in Rushmere Road, but is a prison sentence, which has to end sometime, the best protection for everyone else?

Would it not be better to prescribe drugs to those who are registered as addicts?

Drugs, when bought legally, are cheap and it would probably cost less to treat drug addiction than it does to treat depression.

I know what you are thinking.

With free "classified" drugs available here, would it not lead to an influx of addicts from Europe and the rest of the world?

I don't know the answer to that.
Michael Harper,
Rushmere Road, Northampton.

Cycling for the Angel of the Sky
With the permission of the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance service, I shall be cycling to Leicester and back to raise much needed funds for this "Angel of the Sky", which does not receive any Government or lottery funding and is totally dependent on donations and sponsorship to ensure its wings do not get clipped.

My target is the rather modest sum of £1,000. I shall, of course, be putting my money where my mouth is and donating myself.

As she is "a local charity for local people" (apologies to the League of Gentlemen), I would be grateful if Viewpoint regulars (that's readers and writers) would sponsor me at http://www.justgiving.com/garrymarlowe.

You never know when you or a loved one may need her yourself.
All money raised is directly transferred automatically to the WNAA via the Just Giving website.

I remain a cheerful optimist that my fellow Northamptonians will consider contributing to this very worthy cause.
Garry Marlowe,
West Ridge, St Davids, Northampton.

Path is a waste of time and cash
This letter is to vent my dismay and anger at the time and money spent by the council on redoing a footpath that I have never seen anyone use!
The footpath in question is the one outside the World's End Pub.

It has taken almost two weeks to resurface and I don't know how many men.

The amount of tarmac that has been used would fill an awful lot of potholes, but I suppose that is a different department.

How long will it take for this present council to get their priorities right?
Mr B Mitchell,
Willow Rise, Little Billing, Northampton.

Maureen the Cat Lady on film
I have just seen a wonderful DVD which was made by Northampton College.

It is about Northampton's Cat Lady, Maureen Cook, who does a fantastic job in caring for the feral cats around Northamptonshire.

She has devoted 37 years to this good work and the people of Northampton should be very proud and grateful to Maureen.

She is an exceptional lady.
Linda Gardner,
Church Hill, Wootton, Northampton.

Olympics is over . . . thankfully
The Olympic Games closed on Sunday.

Am I the only one to breath a sigh of relief?

I find it hard to understand the euphoria, stimulated by the media, in the games.

Don't get me wrong, I do believe in people, especially children, getting involved in competition and sporting activities.

However, when I hear that children will become involved in sports because of the Olympic Games, this has all been said before, with the Manchester Commonwealth Games and football World Cups, along with other global sporting events.

It has been said in the media that 60 per cent of our medal winners went to private schools which, generally speaking, provide better sporting facilities than state schools.

Can we honestly say that the average child will get the opportunity to become involved in sailing, fencing, and shooting, when even the chance to use an Olympic-size swimming and diving pool doesn't exist here, in the largest town in England?

If we are to do well in the 2012 Olympics, we have to stop state schools using the excuse of health and safety rules to prevent children competing in or even playing sports.

Sending BBC employees to various parts of China in enormous numbers has cost the licence payer a fortune.

The same can be said of various Government personnel, who were also present at the games along with the Mayor of London's contingent, all at extra cost again to the taxpayer.

The main objection I have to London hosting the Olympic Games is the continually spiralling costs, already at the level of £9 billion, an expenditure in which the ordinary taxpayer has no say.

How many hospitals, dentists, nurses and doctors would this money provide?

Better pay and conditions for nurses might stop the haemorrhage of their skills to other countries and entice some back to the UK.

All this money is to be spent, yet we are unable to afford to give people the drugs to improve and/or extend their lives when they have diseases such as cancer or Alzheimer's.

This in itself is nothing short of a disgrace.

There is also the issue of providing better pensions and care for our expanding elderly population.

In conclusion, I find some of the events questionable as "sports" and wonder when conkers and tiddlywinks will be included.

Surely ladies' beach volleyball is not so much an Olympic sport as another episode of Baywatch!
Peter Minney,
Irondale Close,
Northampton.