Councillor Battle's vicious letter criticising Russell Hicks (December 21) is an unnecessary and inaccurate slur on a very decent man who has made Brighton and Hove Council think twice on a number of issues.

He was probably the decisive factor in stopping Citygrove ruining Hove beach with the King Alfred development and we should all hope he will continue to fight, unrewarded, against civic abuses.

Far from producing "propaganda", Russell Hicks has done well at telling it "as it is". No doubt he will do the same to correct Mr Battle's slurs.

-John Broughton, Hove