Further to Mrs Bennett's comments on the Brighton Police "Old Cells" Museum in the basement of the town hall (Letters, May 17), the museum exists courtesy of Brighton and Hove City Council, which allowed us to take over three cells in the old police cell block and the area of the lower basement under Bartholomews.

It was vacated in December 1967, when Brighton Borough police force was amalgamated into Sussex Police.

We first opened the museum last year at festival time and gave free tours to more than 700 visitors. This year we opened for a week at Easter and gave many more free tours. We receive no grants, so donations are gratefully received.

The cells were dusty for Mrs Bennett's visit because we have had to install an emergency exit which entailed knocking through four feet of walls.

The lower basement is damp because the site was originally a monastery and there is still a well there. The Town Hall itself is not so old - it was built between 1830 and 1832 - but is still a good, solid building.

And the toilets are dusty because they have been untouched for 40 years and we like things to be as authentic as possible.

There is still graffiti on the cell walls, written by mods and rockers and other inhabitants of 40-plus years ago.

The Police Museum is open during Brighton Festival every morning at 10.30 and 11.30 except Sundays, and every Saturday morning all summer at the same times but you will need to book in advance via the Town Hall front desk.

-David Rowland, Telscombe Cliffs