Following my recent letter in the Sutton Guardian (Tough on crime' but scared of a pensioner, May 25).

I wrote to police commissioner Sir Iain Blair asking him to accompany me on a walk around Sutton to meet some of the pensioners who live in the borough and to discuss the issue of them being afraid to go into Sutton in the evening and frightened in their own home.

Readers will remember this was because Sutton borough commander Bob Reed was terrified to accept my challenge. Having waited for some weeks due to two recorded letters being lost at New Scotland Yard, I managed to speak to Sir Iain's private secretary, Rebecca Sandifer, who said the commissioner could not come but she would write to Bob Reed to request he or a member of his team meet me.

After months of hiding, this produced an immediate response from the commander who sent round two police officers to my house from the Safer Neighbourhood Team, who informed me that Mr Reed was too busy to meet me. Who are you trying to kid Bob?

So there aren't any senior officers at Sutton who have the courage for a walkabout. Two top cops petrified to meet us pensioners?

Either they are so full of themselves with their fancy titles or they couldn't care less about the elderly people living here. I am inclined to believe the latter.

Just remember ladies and gentleman, when you lock yourselves in at night and hope for the best, the Safer Neighbourhood Team has packed up and gone home at 11pm. What a joke. I shall be writing to London Mayor Ken Livingstone to ask for his opinion on the issue.

In the meantime I challenge Sir Iain and Commander Bob to meet me head-to-head on television and, if they want to bring along Home Secretary John Reid to hold their hands I will be happy to take them all on.

RAY HORRY Westmoreland Drive Sutton