“GO West, young man,” was the favourite saying of Horace Greely, a 19-century journalist, when he spoke about the higher employment and living standards available to Americans if they moved to the country’s frontier states. However it could equally be used today, to describe the health benefits available to Sussex residents if they too would only “Go West”.

According to the latest government “cases of coronavirus virus per 100,000 population” statistics, people living in the Coldean area of Brighton – 34 cases per 100,000 - could lower their exposure to the disease by no less than 53 per cent if they moved just five miles west into the Blatchington area of Hove – 16 cases per 100,000.

Also, the risk to everyone living Brighton and Hove – 164 cases per 100,000 – would plunge by no less than 59 per cent if they simply drive, cycle, take a bus or walk, not miles but just a few yards, past the garden centre in Old Shoreham Road where they will find themselves in Adur – 68 cases per one hundred thousand. Surely, yet another example of the truth behind the words of former British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli: “There are three kinds of lies: lies, dammed lies and statistics”.

However, the government continues to place great faith in them, even though they change so frequently, depending as they do on which politician, scientist, or "expert" is speaking at the time.

It may believe in them but I would suggest that the vast majority of the population are getting sick and tired of all these so-called "facts and figures" and are now in the frame of mind of not believing a word they say.

Eric Waters

Lancing