In just one nine-hour shift as a bus driver, I have been verbally and physically assaulted, spat at and had coins and debris thrown at me.

Ill-mannered, violent and aggressive, rude and ignorant - that is just a few of the more savoury comments anyone could make about the youth of today.

Those between the ages of 11 and 17 seem to be the worst.

These people have no respect for others. When driving around Brighton and Hove, I come into contact with about 2,000 people a week.

I would estimate about 1,600 of them board and alight without problem or incident.

The other 400 or so are the youths who seem to think they are above the rest of the population and behave in a way that makes me ashamed to admit I am English.

As noisy and numerous as they are, I would rather transport 200 foreign students around than work one bus carrying the sort of youths Brighton and Hove seems to have produced.

It's about time these "children" were made to heed the consequences of their actions. Instead, we are told they are only expressing themselves and are growing up.

I never behaved like that when I was growing up - and I grew up through three-day weeks and power-cuts and had a lot less money than children have now - why should they?

-Name and address supplied