Night Coppers, a new television programme based on policing in Brighton, was reviewed in a national newspaper with the words: "As the sun goes down and the lights go on, the numbers of assaults, antisocial behaviour, drug-related incidents and hate crimes go through the roof, stretching the thin blue line to breaking point".

I wonder, was this simply hyperbole - a massive exaggeration on the part of the producers to get viewers to watch the programme - or will it turn out to be a factual representation of the city's night-time economy?

If it does turn out to be the latter then Brighton and Hove City Council will, once again, have shot itself in the foot by allowing film makers to depict the city in the worse possible light.

This is exactly what happened when the makers of the last series of Peter James' Grace filmed some scenes in Black Rock area of the city, the end result depicting Brighton as an absolute tip, where every wall and building was plastered from top to bottom with graffiti.

It must surely have made a lot of people have second thoughts about visiting Brighton and now, by making the city look like the crime capital of the South Coast, this new programme could do exactly the same thing.

Or doesn't the council want people to come to Brighton in case they - heaven forbid - arrive in cars, instead of arriving by train, bus, bike or on foot?

Eric Waters

Lancing