The correspondent SM (Letters, December 20) appears to be ashamed to sign his full name to his letter, which is hardly surprising.

He is "astonished by the number of alleged illegal immigrants" in Brighton and Hove. Alleged by whom? Or could it be these alleged illegal immigrants have a natural skin colour just a shade or two darker than his own?

SM claims these people have obtained jobs by providing false passport details. If he knows so much about it, why doesn't he just present his suspicions to the authorities and let them investigate? Perhaps he knows his suspicions are really just the products of a bigoted mind without any basis in fact.

Come on, SM, if you know something, tell the authorities. If you don't, keep your nasty thoughts to yourself.

-John English, Grantham Road, Brighton