FURTHER to your article voicing Ms Gittens' opinions on Parliament's vote against the Government's plans to allow police to detain potential terrorist suspects for 90 days (MPs Are Out Of Touch, News Shopper, November 16).

She is obviously still upset from what she experienced and, understandably, her emotions are obviously still affected.

However, she is wrong to attack MPs, or "traitors" as she calls them, for doing their jobs to dispassionately and coolly assess legislation and its impact on the nation.

Her statement "If they are not guilty, why would the police hold them?" implies the police wouldn't make a mistake.

Jean Charles de Menezes was not guilty of terrorism and yet the police shot him eight times.

In addition to the argument it is easy for MPs to make this judgement as they weren't on the receiving end, well, John Tulloch, the gentlemen who's face appeared on the front page of The Sun the day after the vote, was obviously a victim and he didn't agree with changing the period to 90 days, classing the proposals as "draconian and utterly unnecessary".

I utterly condemn the actions of the July 7 bombers and believe those who seek to emulate their actions should feel the full force of the law.

However, Ms Gittens seems to believe we should rush to a police state with a dictatorship Government which should be allowed to change the law, regardless of the objections of democratically-elected politicians.

Tough measures are needed but we must not sacrifice important laws designed to protect the public from miscarriages of justice.

MATTHEW SHERIDAN
Anerley