Doctor James Walsh, commander of St John Ambulance Sussex, objected to the headline on our front page story on Saturday.

We revealed that St John volunteers were being sent on emergency calls because of a shortage of Sussex Ambulance Service staff.

It said 'Amateurs go on 999 calls' in reference to the first paragraph pointing out that the normal staff were professionals - in other words, paid.

Dr Walsh took the word 'amateurs' to mean that the St John staff were inept, the other meaning of the word.

He adds: "My members, who give their services free, feel grossly insulted by this description which does little to reassure the public.

"St John Ambulance provided much of the ambulance service in Sussex until the early 1970s.

"Since then, when the NHS ambulance service took over on a full-time basis, St John has provided reserve back-up on a regular basis.

"They are far from amateurs. They are professionally-trained volunteers."

I am happy to publish his comments but must point out that he accepts the story covered the issues 'correctly and well' and stated the volunteers were trained to a high standard.

It was clear therefore that there was no intention on our part to brand the St John staff as 'amateurs' in the sense Dr Walsh took it.

John Lord, from Southwick, asks me to settle a bet by providing the answer to the Dingbats puzzle that appeared on October 22 and showed the word trainer twice in the shape of a cross.

The answer (which, as with all our puzzles, was published the next day) was cross trainers. Hope you have won, John.

Terry Byrne wishes to correct a small error in our report on Monday of the Fabian Society meeting in Brighton addressed by Hove MP and junior defence minister Ivor Caplin.

Mr Caplin was jeered by anti-war protesters outside, prompting him to dub them "yobs".

The meeting took place at the Friends Meeting House, of which Terry is warden, and not The Friends Centre, as we said, which is an adult education organisation which meets at the meeting house on weekdays.

The building is owned and managed by the Quaker Meeting, who are responsible for hiring out the room to various groups, including the society.

In our report on Tuesday about youth offenders, we said multiple offender Daniel Bowler had flicked a V-sign at one of our photographers as he left court for a picture later published on our front page.

In fact, the picture was taken as he went into court, says his mother, June Boulaich, from Hollingdean, Brighton.

She was concerned we made it look as if Daniel wasn't repentant when he was. I am happy to put the record straight.

And finally, this week's Spicer courtesy of Gerald, from Portslade. He says two Fridays ago we must have "flipped" the picture of Princess Diana illustrating John Parry's column because her jacket buttons were the wrong way round.

He also spotted that a caption for a picture of Lewes Bonfire Society's youngster member, Ryan Gravett, said he was te instead of ten.