Scene: Plumstead Road at the junction with Burrage Road heading into Woolwich at 8.10am on Wednesday, January 31, 2001.

I drew up at the traffic lights on my bicycle and noticed a police panda car waiting in the bus lane.

The lights turned green and the police car (no blue lights flashing) headed off to Woolwich town centre in the bus lane closed to all traffic from 7am except for buses and taxis.

My questions are specifically: How do the police justify stopping and fining drivers for using bus lanes, when they themselves use them on a non-emergency basis?

Secondly, on a more general point, how do the police hope to keep the public on side when they themselves commit motoring offences?

They still advocate zero-tolerance on crime for the rest of us!

Perhaps the general blurring of the edges is the problem.

I have no problem with seeing motorists stopped for using the bus lanes, but I just cannot stand hypocrisy.

Richard Symonds

Iverhurst Close

Bexleyheath