Archie Norman, shadow environment secretary, is quite right in saying: "Most travelling people lead law-abiding, respectful lives" (Argus, May 16).

He is also right in saying a small minority of travellers cause disorder and misery wherever they go.

The same could also be said of those who organised the irresponsible and anti-social rave at Woodingdean, when an estimated 1,000 people arrived, annoyed residents and caused £15,000 of damage to two police cars, paid for out of council tax-payers' money.

That there were some travellers present I would agree but a large proportion of the crowd were students and young business and professional people who came from the city's nightspots.

Anti-social behaviour is not confined to one section of the community but seems endemic throughout society.

Scapegoating travellers, illegal immigrants or folk who are "not one of us" is both irrational and dangerous.

Whatever laws are enacted must be seen to be even-handed and rigorously enforced against individual breakers of the law, irrespective of their colour, class, creed or political persuasion.

-Reverend John Webster, Gleton Avenue, Hove