SIR — On Saturday I met my daughter for a pre-Mother's Day coffee in Costa at 5pm.

Afterwards we decided to walk to the seafront before meeting my husband at 6pm in Wellington Square.

On our walk we had to cross the road on several occasions to avoid groups of 'holidaymakers' walking the streets and gathered outside of Stones and the Hairy Dog, most of whom were the worse for drink and constantly using appalling language.

But the 'highlight' of what was a very unpleasant experience was that in the space of a few yards, outside of WH Smith, we saw a man sniffing a substance from the top of a waste bin, crossing the road to the Priory we encountered another man urinating, and when we finally made it back to Wellington Square we were greeted by a man throwing up in the flower beds.

I do not consider myself to be a prude or a killjoy but I would like to be able to walk through my own town in the early evening and to feel safe, not having to avoid drunks, listen to foul language, encounter people urinating being sick or taking drugs.

Am I asking to much?

Nick Ferris,

Periton Court,