I have lost count of the meetings I have attended over the years regarding the drunks and drug addicts in St James's Street, Brighton.

And, although it had a higher profile with television coverage, the one in the Dorset Gardens Church Hall last Wednesday was no different.

Senior police officers outlined their strategy, which made me wonder why they hadn't done it all before.

Another officer quoted a lower crime percentage over such and such a period, with an adroitness in figures which would have put a businessman to shame.

But, alas, no-one was impressed. The questions flew thick and fast. Agency representatives who gave support to the drunks were there in their droves.

If only the elderly should be so lucky. Fat chance - they only worked hard all their lives and fought in a couple of wars.

Council leader Ken Bodfish didn't alleviate our fears any by stating that we didn't know what kind of troubles the "street people" (drunks and junkies to you and me) had to get them into that state.

Right then I had a yearning for a very large glass of whisky.

The subject of the lack of public toilets came up, due to the council flogging the ones we had. The powers-that-be went very quiet. So what?

Who needs toilets when there are doorways in St James's Street to pee in?

So what did we actually learn after two hours? Simply this. The drunks and junkies are here to stay - the councillors and support agencies will see to that.

There are no safe streets any more, so get used to it.

We are prisoners in our own homes. The beaches aren't for children to play on - they're for drug dealers to ply their trade.

What a shameful legacy the children of Brighton will inherit because, by the time they become adults, the "street people" will have multiplied many, many times over.

-Bill Grant, Brighton