Gina - I notice that the ridiculous comment about her hair colour has now been edited out.

You can be a top chief exec and still all any male journalist can comment about is your hair - disgraceful.

A Dunning, Bath,

I find those who seek to defend this bloke amazing. So the press didn't report my indescretions 15 years ago, but my children suufered, my ex-wife suffered, and I suffered, as did my girlfriend/wife. I certainly didn't choose to top myself, I worked hard to be a better husband to my second wife, A good father to my two eldest children, and a good father to my wifes daughter from her first marriage. Like I said, after 15 years, I think I've suceeded.

robin knight, plymouth, devon

i wonder who picked this person to lead, do they not check them out? and if they do they are very short on judgement.
it is clear he was not suitable for the job.

r ellis, sidmouth, devon

Why mention dyed blonde hair of the alleged mistress? - for the same reason they will say his wife wore a neat blue two-piece suit to the funeral - all very sad but that's what the public have come to expect. Tack, tack and more tack.

As a retired Inspector I am saddened by the whole episode. On the one hand a super-Cop, money, position, influence, prospects for higher places, great family, health, looks and yet, underneath, if the reports are true - a liar, a cheat, a deceiver, a coward and a traitor to his force and family.

Maybe we are beginning not to expect too much from those in the public eye in the UK - so much disappointment and come to think of it, just human nature in it's basest form.

I still am deeply upset by the whole thing from a number of angles.

Chris, Cardiff, UK

The tragic and untimely death of Mr Todd.

All police ranks from The Chief down to Constable carry with it responsibility and itegrity.

Sadly Mr Todd failed on both it would seem yet he would have demanded both in great measure of his junior ranks.

There is an inherent dishonesty in someone who can lie to their family and fool their peers for selfish reasons for so long.

The sad truth of it all is our society would have forgiven him in an instant and his status would have been elevated whatever was printed in the gutter press. Because our society demands no standards of anyone. It is what we have come to expect from people in positions of Authority, Power and Trust!

As for taking responsibility...... this senior police officer has left some fallout for a lot of people to deal with, not least of all is family.

But then again he was a mere mortal, a human being. Forgiveness costs nothing.

God rest your soul Mr Todd.

Shaun, Newcastle, Tyneside

This is a terrible death and should never have ocurred - I know michael's children, who had so much going for them, will be are deply saddened at the unnecessary death of their father - a great example to us all.

s, Ntts,

Why is anyone blaming the papers?
This man had chosen to behave so dishonestly that when there was a risk of the facts becoming public, he chose to take his own life.

When he and his kind argue in favour of surveillance cameras, ID cards, and so on, they always say that the innocent have nothing to fear from being watched ... but somehow the rules are different for them.

When anyone else's blood alcohol reaches the driving limit, they are automatically assumed to be drunk. But in a police officer, twice the legal limit is regarded as "not a huge amount"

THAT is hypocrisy.

Tim Bartlett, upwell, norfolk

another pillar of society found to be flawed.

david wilde, derby, england

What a waste of a good and caring man, his death is such a pity and he did so much good.

What he did in private was his affair and I would say that the Sunday newspaper in question are the only one's responsible for his death, he obviously couldn't face the shame.

When will the government step in and stop these scum papers from ruining peoples lives, I suppose they a slice of the profit too so they will never stop it......

FRAN , Leicester, United Kingdom

What on earth does the colour of her 'dyed blonde' hair have to do with anything? I thought we were living in 2008...

A Dunning, Bath,

Why is Angie Robinson named in this article?
She shouldn't. It's an intusion in her private life, leading to difficulties in her business life.

Sabrina, Strasbourg, France

If this society judges public figures by a yardstick that individuals are not prepared to apply on themselves, then this is clearly hypocrisy. This individual saw it fit to end his life rather than undergo a media/public trial/circus which would divulge all details about his relationship including when, how and where. All this to satisfy the publics demand for more lurid details about this relationship. Shame on the media and the public.

John Taylor, London,

If what we are being told by the media is correct, that Mr Todd during his Police career had a string of affairs and was inclined towards depression, how was it he managed to attain
some of the highest and most important Police posts in the UK.?
During my own Police service I can recollect the careers of several police officers being blighted when it was discovered they were having affairs.
When an officer seeks advancement to the highest ranks of the Police he is subject to a strict process of scrutiny and I have always believed this was,among other things, to ensure there was nothing in his background which might render him liable to blackmail etc.
Was MrTodd properly scrutinised? If so, did the scrutiny process fail to pick up on the alleged affairs and his potential towards depression?
This may be an issue which should be raised at the inevitable inquest.

joe craig, dumfries, scotland

Society is forcing us to lose our top policemen. We ignore these vulnerable officers' most important asset - how good they are at their jobs. While they work hard to police the country, they are looking over their shoulders for the media who are intent on finding flaws in their private lives. Andy Hayman was the last top policeman to go. He resigned before his retirement date, before the acclaim he deserved and possibly more promotion for his efforts to curb terrorism. His early retirement it seems was to avoid the kind of fate Michael Todd might have expected. Both were credits to their forces, and the rest of us are the losers.

Jim Gunn, Kings Lynn, England

Regardless of the circumstances surrounding this man's death - I have to ask the question, having read this article - why is the fact that the businesswoman named had "dyed blonde hair" relevant?

Gina Orchard, Dartford, England