Regarding the musings of Tony Mernagh and Clifford Conway as to whether independent businesses are falling by the wayside in Brighton and Hove (The Argus, June 1), haven't they noticed this decline with their own eyes?

Not a week goes by, it seems, when I don't see another independent retailer quietly closing its door for the last time, having fallen victim to the slow, inexorable cancer which is the homogenisation of our high streets.

Why wait until they're all gone, replaced by corporate coffee chain outlets and even more estate agencies? (How many do we need in this city, anyway?)

Sipping lattes and remembering the old Brighton won't bring those businesses back. Deciding where to spend your money today and everyday, will - if it's not already too late.

-Karen Tipping, Hove