We hit a raw nerve in Brighton and Hove City Council when we suggested it had snubbed the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations.

Now the council is writing personally to Buckingham Palace saying the reports are grossly unfair and should be ignored.

But the council, through Cabinet culture councillor Ian Duncan, protests too much over being depicted as ungrateful and mean-spirited.

It lists three initiatives already being planned for the jubilee. One was taking part in a baton relay which could hardly be ignored as it was part of a national event culminating in the Commonwealth Games.

Another was planting flowers in gardens and hanging baskets, which the city does every year.

The third was to support dozens of street parties and community events, but these will be organised by others, not the council.

There will be plenty of events in the 2002 Year of Culture says the council, but they were planned last year and are not specifically to do with the jubilee.

The plain truth is Brighton and Hove, unlike Worthing and Eastbourne, did not make any real plans for the jubilee.

Now it has been caught out. Sensing this is against the local and national mood, the council is belatedly throwing everything it can into the jubilee pot hoping no one will notice its previous lack of enthusiasm.

Well, we have and a proper seafront spectacular, combined with private enterprise, would go down well.

It wouldn't cost a lot of money and would indicate Brighton and Hove does appreciate what the Queen has done, including bestowing city status on the resort.