AROUND Southampton precinct things are going downhill.

Today I lost count of the number of beggars there were. I’m not against giving to charity, for example the PDSA or RSPCA.

There was one young man today, 20 at most, saying “Any spare change?”, cap in front of him but he also had a cigarette in his hand and I wouldn’t like to estimate the number of beer cans around his feet.

I am 46 and unemployed myself but I’d rather give money to a good cause such as the RSPCA than know it will be going up on smoke or down the drain.

H TREVORROW, Southampton.