SIR, So Catriona Bhatia thinks it “odd” that the Spanish nationality of a thief in Peebles, who stole a mobile phone and a bank card, was mentioned by the Police (Councillor upset over police disclosure - Border Telegraph, October 21). It was of interest to me, and I am not a UKIP supporter.

At a time when the media is highlighting the high number of foreign criminals on the run in the UK, many of them dangerous, I for one want to know how many foreign criminals are in my locality and what they have done. This particular individual appears to have come to this country being of no fixed abode and not in work, and so decided to fund himself by resorting to theft thus causing distress to some unfortunate victim. There are many instances of foreign criminals in the UK engaging in theft and other more heinous crimes. Why should their nationalities not be disclosed, and why are they allowed to remain within our shores? The public are entitled to know.

On the Liberal Democrat website there is a section which highlights the “Liberal Democrats’ commitment to transparency”. Why then should Police Scotland not be “transparent” and disclose the nationality of any offender, British or otherwise? The reason, I am guessing, is that disclosing such information offends the sensibilities of Europhiles such as Ms Bhatia and others of the liberal chattering class who deem it their right to guide us on how we should think and lead our lives. It would appear that the “commitment to transparency” only applies when it suits the purposes of Ms. Bhatia. Reading between the lines I am also guessing that Ms. Bhatia fears the disclosure of such information might turn us all into closet racists, how insulting.

Ms. Bhatia would better serve her constituents by saving all of her concern and sympathy for the victim of the crime, who must have suffered a fair amount of distress, and not the perpetrator. She should also congratulate the police for swiftly apprehending an offender instead of criticising them. In the “Visions and Values” section of the “Scottish Borders Council Corporate Plan 2013-2018”, to which, I assume, Ms. Bhatia is signed up, it states, “We seek the best quality of life for all the people in the Scottish Borders, prosperity for our businesses and good health and resilience for all our communities”. Perhaps she should re-visit that section which might induce her to redirect her concerns and sympathies to where they should be.

The UK has enough of a problem with its home grown criminals without the present sizable problem being created by the foreign ones.

Ms. Bhatia is correct in her assertion that, “As this person comes from an EU country he is quite entitled to live and work here …”, however it does not give him the right to steal from others and cause them distress. I for one would be quite content for this particular Spaniard, and others like him who commit crimes and abuse our hospitality, to be taken swiftly to a port of departure and sent on their way home. I doubt if many would disagree with me.

I am, etc.

Harry Scott Galashiels