Letter: Lore on assault

Sir: Alastair Logan is wrong when he says that police do not pursue cases of common assault due to financial considerations (23 November). Police prosecution interferes with the aggrieved's right to compensation, so it is thought better to let the individual take action himself. This is nothing new, it was normal practice when I joined the force in the early Sixties.

Yours faithfully,

CHRISTOPHER BRADLEY

Witney, Oxfordshire