It is widely accepted that our war against drugs has already been lost.

Is it any wonder when a drugs dealer who was convicted of being a member of the county lines organisation received a 30 month jail sentence?

Think about that.

Just 30 months (less so many months reward for good behaviour). Unbelievable.

His associates must be rubbing their hands together for they know that their rewards continue to outweigh the risks they take.

The cartel behind all this are completely ruthless; they don’t care who they hurt or what atrocities they commit so long as they make money.

They want to overwhelm us with ready supplies of dangerous narcotics and are quite willing to sell them by force.

One sinister ploy is to drag our young people into their dark, addictive world from which there is often no return.

Therefore, we must become relentless in everything that we do in order to bring them down. No more soft options.

A 30 month sentence will not work; it won’t even make these gangsters blink.

Even the police had the good sense not to tell us that ‘this will send out a message’.

If I may, I would like to put forward a proposal which might just help - why don’t we put these people away for 50 years?

Now, that works.

Pat Philpott

Hill Avenue

Gorleston