MIKE Bentley's Saturday Soundoff said: "No Hawkers, No Salesmen, No Gipsies, No Welsh" (April 16). Why Welsh? Why not Irish, Asians, Scots?

I am Welsh, what is wrong with being Welsh, do you know any Welsh people? It happens all the time, Welsh people are always talked about in a derisory way. Yet it's ok to make cheap jibes at our expense.

I've lived most of my life in England but when someone calls Welsh people riff raff, I see red. So Mike, when you decide to write something glib, please don't insult the Welsh, after all we did beat you - England, at rugby this year!

Rita Brazier,

Barley House,

Westfield Farm, Askham Lane, York.

Updated: 10:57 Wednesday, April 20, 2005