According to The Argus (March 18), a new boy named Richard Cairns has recently arrived at Brighton College and taken it upon himself to denigrate the people of his new city by calling them backwards, dirty and lacking in vision.

His gross impertinence would normally result in a visit to the headmaster's study for a good dressing down, six of the best and even expulsion from the school.

In this case it is unlikely to happen, however, because the offender is the headmaster himself.

Mr Cairns has also compared our city unfavourably with Edinburgh and Oxford, two of the most beautiful places in Europe - hardly a fair comparison.

Has it occurred to him there are good reasons why most local residents do not want Brighton and Hove to become just another version of downtown North America?

Feeling is now so strong that Brighton and Hove City Council must allow us to have a referendum to decide the issue of the Gehry Towers once and for all.

We should be protecting our environment and the way of life we already enjoy, which has made this city the most popular seaside resort in Britain.

We would be made to sell our birthright to a bunch of developers who want to disfigure the area with vast, de-humanising tower blocks.

The council should be encouraging the building of family homes to ensure our future and stand up to people who want to cover the South-East in concrete. Ask them where this process ends.

If the city is to prosper, it needs to be different from the competition.

We should cast off uniformity (the same shops on every High Street) and try to give visitors a quality experience to remember.

We are a university and holiday city where people should be able to relax and enjoy our excellent shopping and entertainment facilities.

The Pavilion and a properly-functioning West Pier are unique world-class attractions.

We need more of them.

-Alan Nunn, Hove