I was pretty disgusted to read the article about Celia Powis being "bounced out for being 70" (The Argus, February 28).

As we live in a society where there are often not enough jobs to go round, I think it's quite right that those who have earned a living for many years should be made to move over and give younger people the same chances they've had in life.

Saying that everyone should have the right to work until they drop is all very well, but would you be comfortable being operated on by a surgeon who was aged 80?

Of course some jobs are not so crucial, as in the case of Ms Powis, but even in less vital professions, regular checks would need to be made to ensure that elderly people are still able to carry out their duties past normal retirement age. Another side to this coin is that if Ms Powis and others win the right to work on, employers could then, potentially, put pressure on people to retire later and later, on the basis that their co-workers are willing to do so. There is nothing stopping Ms Powis and others of a similar age helping others on a voluntary basis.

  • Mary Harland, Goldstone Villas, Hove