I am a member of Harrow Rugby Club, who's pitch area was recently invaded by what are now regarded as "travellers".

I was one of 50 or 60 people who had to turn out to restore the pitch area over the last month to a playable surface, in order that approximately 90 players plus three referees can enjoy their Saturday game after working all week to pay their way in this world.

I find it very hard to understand your point of view as to who is not considerate and tolerant (Times Series Comment, August 13). You say we should designate sites in the borough, or unused land, and have proper rubbish collection facilities. Next you'll be telling us that the travellers would be willing to pay for these services.

To implement this you would need 20 dustcarts a day to clear their rubbish, for theirs is a special kind of rubbish, consisting of miles of chopped up tarmacadam, road concrete, pillars, bricks and mortar, window frames, telephone poles, railway sleeperes, clay and soil, assorted clothing, three-piece suites, old cars... the list is endless. Then there's still the household rubbish to contend with.

In addition to this, social services would need to provide a permanent RSPCA office to look after their livestock. The last words you used were: "If we were more understanding perhaps they would be more considerate of our way of life".

Thinking back several years, some travellers invaded Fryent Country Park, which, incidentaly, hasn't been the same since. That area was considered to be a local beauty spot. I went to the tenants meetings where I saw the park warden reduced to tears because all the work he'd done over the previous months with local children from the borough restoring wildlife ponds had been ruined by travellers dumping used cars and spilling petrol into the pond.

Several years later I have now seen similar things happening at this rugby club. I saw men who are considered to be "hard as nails" shaking their heads with anger and despair and women in tears at the sight of the pitches and clubhouse destroyed by these travellers. The club will have to bear the cost of all this.

The surrounding woodland had also been destroyed by leaving behind human excretement, sanitary items, nappies, bags of decomposing food and dead dogs. This area is frequented by rugby players and local residents alike. Members from the club had to spend time and money to try to restore not only the pitches and clubhouse but the surrounding woodland.

These travellers are not persecuted in any way. If they want to live a different lifestyle it is up to them. Sometime they may even work among us, which is fine too.

However there the similarities end. We care about our environment and surroundings, they do not. They do not want to put down permanent roots as this would make them accountable and would ruin their lifestyle.

So do not make them out to be victims, we are the only victims. We care, they unfortunately do not give a toss.

M Alway, Harrow Rugby Football

Club, Wood Lane, Stanmore

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000.Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.