I FEEL I really must write on the matter of travellers pitching up in Poole and Bournemouth.

One issue that strikes me is the outrage of residents over the matter of the litter and rubbish left on sites.

To all those residents I would say, can you not open your eyes? Do you not see in the Echo week after week complaints about shocking littering from the general public and from tourists?

Three major complaints in the Echo during the past two weeks include: ‘Half a tonne of rubbish collected from Durdle Door’ (August 6); ‘Shocked by so much rubbish’ (Old Christchurch Road, July 7) and ‘Staggered by all the litter’ (Commercial Road, July 11).

It is I think monstrous that residents single out this issue to blacken the reputation of travellers but have nothing to say on the tons of litter dumped by the public.

And the second point, on the local ‘residents’ groups’ who are so strongly opposed to travellers, many of these residents I know first hand are very aggressive indeed when it comes to ‘their’ recreation ground. Over the years, taking the view it’s their ground for their dogs and heaven help anyone who ‘trespasses’.

All I’ve seen in all the Echo photos, and first hand on one ground, are tidy clean caravans pulled up in the corner of grounds and no trouble to anyone.

But then the brigade of residents cmes out in force, officials are summoned, and then comes all the trouble and anger – and it is near enough open season on all travellers.

MICHAEL BROOKING, Garland Road, Poole