The lighting columns along Kingsway, contrary to your headline (The Argus, March 26), never had any sparkle to begin with.

They were installed last year by Brighton and Hove City Council, who knew full well they were already rusty in storage, as conceded in a letter to me of April 2006 which included a claim that, as part of an agreement with the manufacturers, they are going to be restored and the rust removed at no extra cost.

I see no evidence of this.

I refute the council's claim that "the lights have been designed to withstand the coastal elements" for the simple reason that the so-called stainlesssteel tubes which surround the column base are of a metal composition which is not suitable for this purpose.

I have received a technical report and recommendation on the use of stainless steel in coastal areas which confirms my belief that the wrong type of stainless steel was ordered in the first place.

I am sure the architect must be extremely disappointed to see his elegantly designed street-lighting fittings so disfigured. What's more, they are in prominent positions along the promenade of this renowned South Coast resort.

The lights are red with rust and not, as claimed by a spokesman for the council who cannot recognise what we all know to be true, "tarnished".

That adjective is reserved for the council, which has left us with a legacy of payment for years to come.

  • S Lipman, The Drive, Hove