Thank you for publishing "Shame of decaying mess in heart of new city" (Argus, April 17). Every morning I wake up to see the graffiti on the walls of the cottages in Queen's Place from my bedroom window. From the front of the house we see the dereliction that is York Place and the crumbling edifice of St Peter's Church.

Add to that the litter from local take-aways, street drinkers and loutish behaviour from drunks leaving local pubs and one has a very depressing picture every Brightonian should be thoroughtly ashamed of.

Much money and thought has been spent in restoring areas such as Brunswick Square, and rightly so. Sadly, relatively few of Brighton's visitors see those areas. However, virtually every visitor to Brighton sees our little patch. St Peter's Church and the surrounding Steine, although much diminished by unsympathetic past development, is nevertheless the true heart of Regency Brighton.

With investment and thoughtful planning, it could be beautiful again. Please keep up the pressure and don't let the area continue to be forgotten.

-Steve, St Peter's Place, Brighton