I doubt many of those residents of our city centre and suburbs who complain to me about graffiti feel much like "empathising" with the vandals who do the damage, as suggested by April Williams.

I can't accept her dismissive suggestion that cracking down on graffiti is about boosting tourism.

For most residents, graffiti creates a feeling of neglect and insecurity. All too often, it is accompanied, or soon followed, by other kinds of vandalism.

Most of us welcome the anti-graffiti campaign by Brighton and Hove City Council, the police and the City Centre Business Forum because we are proud of the areas in which we live.

Prosecutions are an important part of the strategy. Why should we, the victims, be the only ones to pay, either as individual householders or council tax payers, for the removal of this form of environmental pollution?

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