I was witness to someone verbally abusing and threatening a rough sleeper in the foyer of Lloyds TSB bank on North Street, Brighton, at around 7.30pm last Saturday.

I am not wanting to condone or condemn the use of bank foyers as begging or sleeping spots, merely to hold my hands up in horror at the way one person treated another.

The abuser was very threatening and tried to intimidate the homeless man into leaving, offering to pick him up and throw him out. I intervened and found out the aggressor was a Lloyds TSB bank worker who disliked non-Lloyds TSB customers from accessing the foyer. It was clear to me from his attitude and language he also had a judgemental attitude towards those less fortunate than himself.

I decided to stay in the foyer to make sure there was no further aggressive action. I was asked by this man: "What do you care? He's only a f****** waster."

Well, Mr Bank Worker, homeless or housed, jobless or working, socially excluded or socially accepted, we are all human beings and deserve to be treated as such. We are all just a few pay cheques from being homeless. It can happen to anyone - even you.

-Eleanor van Linden, Brighton