I wish to protest strongly about the abuse in this hot weather of the Old Steine war memorial fountain, Brighton.

It is hardly a fitting place for the bathing and preening blatantly on display each day.

I speak, of course, of the seagulls who cavort shamelessly with no thought for those who fought and died so that the skies over Brighton might be free for them.

But, then again, the way they dive-bomb us residents, I suspect I know which side they were really on anyway.

Let them be warned, we shall fight them on the beaches etc. Or maybe there's something more important I could turn my attention to...

-Brian Snow, Margaret Street, Brighton