Before your letters page becomes the unofficial fan club for Lord Alfred Douglas, can I inject a little balance into the debate as to whether "Bosie" deserves a blue plaque?
After Oscar Wilde's release from prison, Douglas treated him appallingly and refused him any financial help (even though Douglas had inherited a fortune from his father).
In Wilde's own words, Douglas was shallow, a sponger, of low status and his literary efforts of "undergraduate" standard.
After Wilde's death, he persecuted Robert Ross, Wilde's friend and literary executor, to an early grave.
In 1916, he was imprisoned for six months for libelling Winston Churchill (an act that contained a very unpleasant anti-semitic slur).
His "In Excelsis" referred to Wilde as "the lord of abominations" leading England "to black night".
He was no friend to Wilde, an inept poet and in short, a nasty piece of work. He hardly deserves a plaque in Hove.
If people feel the need to honour him, they can visit his grave.
-Peter Hicks, Brighton
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article