Benjamin Coleman is naive in rebuking the St James's Street Action Group (Letters, July 24).

He suggests many of the homeless and alcoholics who share the street have been there longer than some business premises and have as much right to remain there as anyone else.

Not if they break the law, they don't.

I lived on St James's Street a few years ago and know first-hand how intimidating the area can be, especially at night. The underlying problems appear to remain despite the cosmetic alterations to the street.

I have a long-standing friend who has mental health problems, is frequently homeless (through both choice and his actions) and is a violent alcoholic.

He used to frequent the area and he, together with the people he associated with, were not particularly interested in seeking help unless there were opportunities to obtain money to feed their habits.

Lobbying MPs for detox programmes, education and housing is commendable but this on its own will not make St James's Street "a nicer place to live".

Help and support do currently exist but as an individual you must fundamentally want to change. Unless sectioned under the Mental Health Act, someone cannot be forced to seek help.

The blanket ban on street drinking may help to alleviate some of the current alcohol-related problems but formal consultation needs to take place between the council, police and action groups to look at why anti-social behaviour exists and ways of reducing it.

-Jonathan Armitt, Hove