I used to be merely indifferent to football but I have reached the stage where I hate it.

The reason is not the game itself - I can see the attraction, the excitement and the undoubted skills of the players.

It is the awful behaviour of the many youths who carry and play with footballs in almost every public place, to the discomfort and unease of everyone around them. Yet people say nothing.

Why do we tolerate this? Twice on the top deck of a No 5 bus recently, I sat while boys at the back of the bus threw a football violently against the windows.

In the first case, it barely missed the head of a young woman.

I leapt to my feet and ordered them to stop.

The second time, I simply moved downstairs. But why should I have to? In other incidents, waiting for buses, I had no choice.

Ten days ago, at the northbound bus stop in London Road, a boy of about 12 and one of about 17 bounced a ball frantically, threw it between each other and kicked it along the ground near the feet of elderly people who were trying to get into the bus shelter.

People were having to pull back to avoid being struck.

Finally, they managed to graze the face of a middle-aged woman carrying shopping.

She was furious and so was I. She said, "This is a bus stop, not a football field." They mumbled an apology but they kept playing.

This morning, opposite the Chapel Royal, another two youths were doing the exact same thing.

Told to stop, they became abusive. I am 70 years of age. I would like to go about my business or wait for a bus without risk of what amounts to assault. Are they deliberately threatening us?

For God's sake Brighton, wake up and put a stop to this menace.

-Name and address supplied