Yesterday’s M6 Toll incident and its seemingly disproportionate reaction shows us that the terrorists have the upper hand. Look at the disruption caused , all for no reason. The extremists know that Western security forces love to turn up in shiny vehicles in a cacophony of light and sound, because it could have been something serious, and this will surely only encourage somebody to try it on.

What befuddles me is that the “suspect” is sitting with his mysterious vapour for quite some time and nobody is showing signs of being gassed or asphyxiated and then the hazardous material teams how up with a 13 fire engines (if I counted correctly) and a phalanx of decontamination unit, ambulances and firearms teams. You don’t get that much turnout for a serious warehouse blaze.

Why couldn’t a single armed unit board the bus with a fire engine and a couple of ambulances on stand-by ? And as for rounding up the passengers on the carriageway.Treat cattle like that and the RSPCA will have you in front of the magistrates in no time.

Is it any wonder that the public are cynical about how the authorities strut around in a show of force because of procedures and form filling and covering their backs just in case , but when it comes to repsonding to mundane calls the public waits and waits and waits and…..

Mind you , it saves having a training exercise , doesn’t it ?