I am the new manager of the Big Issue in Brighton.

I would firstly like to thank all those people who have supported our sellers and the magazine itself over the years.

Everyone associated with the Big Issue is acutely aware of how much we rely on the goodwill of the general public to be able to support the homeless people we work with.

I would also like to ask for your help. All our vendors are given an induction in which the rules of vending are clearly explained to them and are made fully aware of the standards of behaviour we expect from them.

Unfortunately, there are certain people whose anti-social behaviour while vending reflects on all of us associated with the Big Issue.

I would especially ask you to buy a Big Issue only from vendors who are clearly displaying a Big Issue badge.

All vendors are allocated a pitch from which to sell, therefore no Big Issue vendor should be walking the streets of Brighton and harassing the public into buying a copy of the magazine.

Unfortunately, many of the perpetrators of such behaviour are unauthorised by us and are using our magazine to aggressively beg with. We are working with the police to attempt to deal with this situation.

May I take this opportunity to encourage any member of the public who has a problem with a Big Issue seller regarding this to contact one of my colleagues or me - call 01273 234781.

I assure you we will do our utmost to deal with the situation.

-Peter Wileman, The Big Issue, Queens Road, Brighton