As a Catholic born of a Catholic family, a number of whom live and freely practise their religion in Lewes, I can safely say Joe O'Keefe's campaign to ban or censor the bonfire celebrations in the town is absurd (The Argus, December 29).

These celebrations commemorate a long-past time when the hand of the Papacy was clearly visible behind the burning alive of the Protestant Martyrs in Lewes, the attempted Spanish invasion of England at the time of the Armada and the Gunpowder Plot.

The celebrations bear no relationship or relevance to modern-day Catholicism, but are a commemoration of certain historical facts that affected Lewes very much at the time.

They must not be confused with the bigotry in Northern Ireland. There are no Protestant gangs roaming the streets of Lewes (or any other town or village in England that I know of), hunting down Catholics to give them a beating.

There are no protests outside the local Catholic school. There is no Protestant-inspired vandalism against the local Catholic church, nor threats to its priest.

Lewes is, in fact, a decent and civilised town where there is no discrimination against Catholics.

Mr O'Keefe claims most Catholics feel the same way as him and regard the event as offensive. That is nonsense.

Most local Catholics see the bonfire celebrations for what they are: a fun-filled annual festival to which it is perfectly safe to take their children.

My Catholic niece in Lewes joined a bonfire society with her two young children without hiding her own religion.

Nobody in the society concerned turned a hair. It is also fact, not fiction, that many local Catholics are members of the various societies.

As to a worldwide campaign, God bless Americans and Australians but they know nothing of Lewes or its history.

The fact that Mr O'Keefe has to look abroad for support speaks volumes because he has little support from Catholics over here. Perhaps he should ask himself why.

-Bob Sellwood, Hove