I was puzzled by your report about Education Secretary Ruth Kelly being "jeered" as she arrived to open the Tarner Children's Centre in Brighton (The Argus, September 15).

I was with the Secretary of State from the start of her visits in Brighton on Wednesday to hear about the magnificent achievements of the staff and children at Tarnerland Nursery School and Carlton Hill Primary School, and then to open the new Children's Centre in Ivory Place.

I was certainly aware of the warm welcome she received at the centre, with no jeering either there or anywhere else during the visit, and certainly not from the five or six demonstrators about secondary school admissions, with whom the Secretary of State and I had a brief conversation before the opening of the centre.

It is understandable you should give space for the Tory-inspired controversies about the Government's successful Sure Start Scheme. But what a pity the opportunity wasn't also taken to celebrate the hard work by so many local people and agencies which has led to the opening of the new family centre which is going to make such a real difference to the lives of families in that part of Brighton.

-David Lepper, Labour and Co-operative MP, Brighton Pavilion