I attended the Rememberance Service at the Cenotaph in Southampton and was pleased to see a big turn out of local people.

These occasions are about the people of the city gathering to pay tribute to brave men and women who have died serving their country. I have attended for many years and felt part of the occasion.

However this year the people of Southampton were made to feel like second class citizens.

For some reason known only to the over zealous 'crowd control' department, the public were pushed back from the service behind steel crush barriers.

VIPs were allowed inside but ordinary people were deemed not important enough and kept remote from the event.

I'd like to know who made this ridiculous decision and on what authority?

Did they fear a riot by poppy wearers?

What a nonsense.

Roger Brighton, Southampton