I was astonished to read the Francophobic tirade of abuse from M Lucas from Portslade (Letters, April 17).

This individual expresses the narrow-minded attitudes prevalent in this country towards anything "foreign".

If M Lucas ever went to France, particularly around Arramanches and the whole area of the Normandy landings, he would be well aware of the reverence in which the locals hold the British because of the help in the liberation in the last war.

There is simply no truth in the notion the French hate the English.

Certainly, where my mother has retired to in the Charante, they are welcomed with open arms.

As regards the statement about their goods being so expensive, well, I'm afraid the facts show otherwise.

My mother and her husband have a very nice life on £8,000 a year: A nice house with land, a nice car, good food and wine etc.

As for the desecration of war memorials, the French are as upset as anyone else.

-Jason Went and Patrick McHugh, Brighton