TERRORISM is serious and I for one applaud the Westmorland Shopping Centre security guard for how he dealt with what he thought was a suspicious photographer taking photos, it appears, of private property including probably the most popular place to hide a bomb, the bins (Gazette, September 27, 'Bollards picture lands pensioner in spot of bother').

Lest we forget, terrorism/mass killings/suspect spy killings, do not just happen in the big cities. They are a threat to us all and we should all be on our guard.

Terrorists do not all look like James Bond, they could present in the guise of a white haired, elderly lady....who would suspect?n It would make a brilliant cover!

The security guard was right to challenge and I feel safer knowing that we have a security team in the shopping centre which is not afraid to do its job or become blasé with the "it won't happen in Kendal" attitude.

The sad part is that, despite acknowledging that this is serious and that there are two sides to the story, the photographer in question seems to delight in the fact that she then "left a chain of laughter" around Kendal "telling everyone she met and everyone was roaring with laughter".

Really? Had she met me and told me I definitely wouldn't have been.

What sort of a lesson is that to our children? That it's fine to mock someone who has a difference of opinion, or someone who is doing what they have been trained to do?

So my message to the security guard is thank you and keep up the good work.

J. Garnett

Kendal