FOR the past few weeks one subject has dominated the TV news, namely the deaths of five young women in the Ipswich area.

Why so much media attention and why such a massive police response? Yes, these women were young, yes, they were someone's relatives, yes, some had children and yes, one was pregnant.

But what sort of people were they? All five were main line drug users, heroin or crack cocaine, so they were all slowly but surely killing themselves.

That does not excuse the deaths, but it is a highly relevant detail. If they had just been prostitutes then the police action would have been more justifiable.

Prostitution in the UK is illegal - personally I believe that to be a mistake. The State should run proper, clean, healthy, regulated brothels in specific areas where little or no offence can be caused. This would save the nation much money and greatly reduce the serious crime usually associated with "working girls"!

Our police could then concentrate on tackling far more serious crime such as drug and people trafficking, murder, rape, fraud, illegal immigration, bogus asylum seekers, robbery and GBH.

No one has to use drugs or get addicted to the vile stuff - it is a question of willpower, education and common sense.

Too much sympathy is not a long-term benefit and the drug barons should be hit extremely hard, and the drug users discouraged.

David Quarrie, Lynden Way, Holgate, York.