Seeing that Aubrey Stein (Apl 9) is so protraveller, I suggest he go and have a chat with Len Grindle at Crays Hill, who is unfortunate enough to have travellers for neighbours.

Mr Stein might then realise that the letters to the Echo on the subject of the travellers are not bigotry, that people do not despise the travellers, but it is because they feel that some travellers' antisocial and lawless behaviour is unacceptable.

They also feel that it is wrong, and unfair, that travellers should expect to get away with illegal activities for which the rest of us would surely be prosecuted.

They are using every dodge to avoid being evicted from their illegal occupation of sites on the green belt and because they see us as a soft touch.

As for the High Court judge's pronouncements on the subject, it is well known that some judges do not live in the real world, hence some of their illogical, outof- touch, politically correct rulings, such as the one that Mr Stein refers to.

Travellers are not a race, they are not true Romany gipsies. Most of them have homes elsewhere, so eviction would not render them homeless, and they have the same opportunities to buy homes as the rest of us.

If as they claim, their culture is to be travellers then they should travel and not occupy illegal sites and they should not expect special treatment over and above the rest of us.

That unelected, unaccountable body East of England Regional Assembly has no right to tell local authorities how many traveller pitches they should provide, given that we have in this part of Essex more than our fair share already.

Clive Benson
Coppens Green
Wickford

...Aubrey Stein (Apr 9) accuses Echo reporter Jon Austin of arrogance for having dismissed remarks from a High Court judge commenting on his regular reporting on the subject of travellers.

He also touched a nerve by labelling regular correspondents on the same issue as bigots.

A bigot by definition is a person intolerant or not responsive to the ideas of others. I would respond that criticism of a minority group in our society based on evidence that its activities adversely effect the majority is not bigotry.

We should be grateful that we have locally a good old-fashioned journalist who reports fairly and factually and remains unswayed by political correctness.

As to the traveller community; they have a vast network of lawyers, civil rights groups, media specialists and even government departments all devoted to their cause.

It seems to me Jon Austin is trying his best, in our region at least, to address the balance.

Mr Stein usually makes me smile at his naivety, but I really do think it is time to change those rose-tinted glasses.

A Wilson
Hart Road
Thundersley