THE sight of five unarmed protesters running about the floor of the House of Commons being pursued by men wearing long-tailed coats with swords by their sides looked like something out of a Laurel and Hardy movie.

But seriously, in these days of alleged heightened risk of terrorist attack, the Government is either incompetent in its approach to security or else they are lying to us about the magnitude of that risk.

Stephen Fox,

Wellington Street,

Alverthorpe,

Wakefield.

Updated: 10:06 Thursday, September 16, 2004