Catherine McQueen interviewing tennis star Novak Djovokic during her time as a TV presenter

• I WAS disappointed and confused to read the comments of Conservative candidate Catherine McQueen regarding crime in Camden Town (Model, Bond Girl, presenter, DJ and… a Tory councillor? March 2).

Her view of Camden Town being a virtual war zone of criminality rankles with myself and many others I have spoken with who live and work in the area.

While there is certainly an undeniable minority of people who behave inconsiderately toward others in any neighbourhood Camden Town, with its unique status as a tourist hotspot and the pressure that places on policing, is in fact showing a small decrease in crime rates compared with other parts of London.

This is largely due to the effective and innovative work of the Camden police, who continue to do an amazing job in the face of massive funding cuts imposed by the Conservative party of which Catherine McQueen is a member.

Years of co-operation between the police, local businesses, particularly those of the night-time economy and organisations such as Camden Town Unlimited have brought great results for safety and reduced crime in Camden Town.

It seems incomprehensible a would-be councillor should seek to undo this hard work by sending out a message, without thorough fact-checking, that could potentially damage the image, cohesion, and prosperity of the neighbourhood.

It would be sad to think that stirring up a climate of fear for political gain could be behind these comments.

If that is indeed the strategy then it may very well backfire when voters who base their choices on real facts make their decision at next year’s local elections.

PHIL COWAN
Albert Terrace, NW1