I am sure our household is not alone in being showered with prize draw and lottery offers from foreign companies, usually American or Australian, which offer the prospect of huge prizes in return for an 'administration fee' or 'handling charge' which often amounts to £20 or £30.

Naturally, on closer inspection of the small print, the offer invariably turns out to be spurious.

As time has passed the tactics have changed, and one of the latest examples we received urged us to ignore the voices of those dissuading us from sending in the cash, since we would be laughing at them all the way to the bank when - not if - we won the prize.

The envelopes have also lost their flashy commercial appearance and look like private mail. The contents are heavily personalised and use homely phrases designed to appeal to those of a trusting nature.

The people these disgusting letters are aimed at are often the ones who can least afford to pay, and the purpose behind them is quite clearly criminal, which reflects badly on the countries where this mail is originating.

Our law is that commercially-motivated competitions are open to all, and no purchase or fee is necessary. It is time to protect people from these sharks.

Andy Baldock

Villa Grove,

Heworth Green, York.