The Editor, Sir:

In June 2008, my wife and I travelled from the United Kingdom to stay in our villa in Whitehouse, Westmoreland. A couple of nights after our arrival, armed gunmen with a sawed-off shotgun entered the villa and got away with computer equipment, two digital cameras, a mobile phone, cash, jewellery and various other items; about J$1 million worth in all. This happened about 10 p.m.

Early the next morning, Detec-tive Dave Cephas from the Westmoreland police attended, identified how the villains had entered the property by climbing over the roof and, by clues they left, he had a good idea who the villains were. He said the police had been after them for some time. I was advised to ask Digicel to bar my number but I said my mobile phone, if operational, may lead to the villains downfall.

Toerags

The next day, with the OK from the police, I used my wife's mobile and called the number of my stolen phone. One of the toerags who stole my stuff answered and I offered to pay him UK£500 if he returned my computer but he said he wanted the password and was not interested in returning anything.

The first night after the break-in, an off-duty policeman, Karl White, now stationed in Little London, stayed with us so that we could sleep in peace. We really appreciated the gesture.

The next evening, Detective Cephas, another police officer, our caretaker and my wife and myself were seated round a table on one of the villa's verandas when my wife's mobile phone rang. I looked at the display to see who was calling and recognised the number of my own stolen phone.

I passed the mobile to Detective Cephas to take the call. The caller, one of the gunmen, said, "There are five of you sitting round the table. I can see you and if I don't get the password for the computer in five minutes, we're coming in and will blast your heads off."

Collect property

Within minutes, a dozen or so policemen with sub-machine guns were in the villa and gardens. They didn't catch anyone and eventually, they left, apart from two who stayed all night for our protection.

The next afternoon, my wife's mobile rang and the caller identified himself to her as a detective sergeant from Sav-la-Mar police and they had recovered our stolen property. My wife was very happy and passed the phone to me to talk to the detective sergeant who advised me that I could go and collect my property if I could prove it was mine by giving the password.

The fact that the call originated from my own stolen phone and that the 'detective sergeant' was in the United States led me to advise the caller that, because he was stupid beyond belief, he would soon be caught because he did not know that he was so stupid.

Hey taxi

My stolen mobile had a couple of unusual features: the ring tone was a New Yorker hailing a taxi and, when my phone switched on, my name, Bernard Skan, appears on the welcome screen. Knowing the ring tone and following a tip-off, the police closed in on the villains, dialled my mobile number, heard the HEY TAXI ringtone and made their arrests.

A few days later, the duo was found guilty in Sav-la-Mar Resident Magistrate's Court and sentenced to two years hard labour. One of them faces further charges of carrying a gun and courts will no doubt add about 15 years to the sentence. The other toerag, wanted on three counts of rape and only escaping justice because he could intimidate his victims who, while he was free, were too scared to testify, can now look forward to spending the rest of his life locked up.

I have travelled the world and would like to put on record that the Jamaican police are the best I have ever encountered. Friendly, helpful, reassuring and get results.

I am planning to leave the UK and spend my retirement years in Jamaica. Detective Dave Cephas and his colleagues have convinced me to go ahead.

Jamaica nice!

I am, etc.,

BERNARD SKAN

villa@bskan.com

188 Macdonald Road

Lightwater, Surrey

United Kingdom

Via Go-Jamaica