I agree wholeheartedly with Frank Ormston (Letters, August 8) about the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes.

After the London bombs we all agreed in no uncertain terms that there can be no justification for killing innocent people. By the same token, how can anyone seek to justify the shooting of Mr de Menezes?

Even the Metropolitan Police themselves have not sought to deny their tragic error.

Frankly, I usually find Mike Bentley's sound-offs to be a load of knee-jerk nonsense. Most of the time it's not worth rising to as it's clearly his job to be provocative at all costs.

But I must agree that attempting to cast slurs against an innocent man tragically shot dead is going too far.

I think Mike Bentley should apologise to Mr de Menezes' family.

Ben Drake,

Danum Road, Fulford, York.

Updated: 10:55 Thursday, August 11, 2005