I am sure Simon Fanshawe likes to provoke comment - after all, any publicity is said to be good. But I wonder where he obtains his figures for the numbers of commuters in to and out of the Brighton area. Then there are his figures for the Brighton population, which he claims is 258,113, with a net inmigration of 3.1 per cent, i.e. 8,001.

The fact is, none of us know what the accurate figure is, with Brighton and Hove Council recently calculating between 249,000 and 250,000. The question is, does this include all those who have arrived unofficially? How many so-called language students are now living and earning a living here?

How many illegal immigrants are among us and how many members of the black economy brigade are enjoying a clandestine life here?

It is estimated the population of England has increased by one-and-a-half million over the past eight years. More worrying still is the figures of 600,000 coming into the south east corner of the country.

How many times do we have to point out that Brighton and Hove are sandwiched between the Downs and the sea before our planners realise we have filled our capacity?

-Name and address supplied