I write in support of the comments made by The Idler concerning various South Coast towns, notably Brighton.

It comes as no surprise to me that Voice of The Argus immediately went on the offensive and criticised the writers.

They suggest people should take a wider view and a few breaths of fresh Sussex countryside air.

What? In Brighton? I don't think anyone is criticising the wonderful Sussex countryside at all, just the downright ugly scars, such as Brighton, that have swallowed up so much of it.

Let's face it, Brighton is dirty, smelly, blatantly overcrowded, unpleasant and dangerous and has extortionately-priced property and rented accommodation.

As for people not having to go there if they don't want to, I agree. I don't go there. I avoid the place like the plague.

Councillor Ken Bodfish, instead of labelling the authors themselves "crap", would do well to engage his under-employed mental resources to investigate the criticisms rather than automatically and idly turning those criticisms towards the authors.

Regarding Hastings, I think the authors are sadly correct as well. I like Hastings but the place is in a terrible state. How people can get through the winter there without becoming suicidally depressed should be a source of amazement to others.

But I was astonished to see the Hastings MP Michael Foster criticise another town, Worthing, as being "pretty awful".

Worthing is one of the few decent South Coast towns left and it is surely disgraceful for Mr Foster to deflect away criticism of Hastings in such a manner.

I am sure The Argus will get plenty of letters in support of what Brighton has become in recent years from people who are happy to ignore the truth and probably do not care much anyway but I hope you will print the views of the other side and not adopt a biased campaign.

-R Fernandez, Brighton