Sir, – Having spoken to our police and crime commissioner during her visit to Leyburn this week, I was dismayed to learn that lost and found property is no longer a police matter.

“What has lost property got to do with the police?” was what she said.

All my life I have been led to believe that you take something you find to the police station, and I don’t just say that as a policeman’s daughter.

I took an informal poll of people I know to see what they would do if they found something of value which had nothing on it to identify the owner.

Without exception they all said they would take it to the police station. As the police station in Leyburn is now never open to the public, that would be a waste of time anyway, but it does prompt me to ask what are we supposed to do? Does a ‘finders keepers’ rule now apply?

It also prompts me to ask in what way do our local police now serve our community? They are conspicuous by their absence - other than racing round the area in cars with sirens blaring - and we appear to have no meaningful way of contacting them. I feel this is a sorry state of affairs.

Sheila Simms, Leyburn