David Rhody and Lisa Trapani of Philadelphia (TMID, 27 April) visited Malta the other week and took issue with their fellow American, John Lane of Buffalo (TMID, 22 April), in his agreement with Daphne Caruana Galizia (TMID 13 April) regarding the deplorable state of present day Malta.

John Lane is no casual tourist but an Emeritus Professor of Political Science and is extremely authoritative on the Maltese islands that he has so often visited while studying the almost unique electoral system bequeathed to Malta by the departed British.

That brings me, an aged British subject who has known Malta for almost 80 years, in support of Daphne and John – for once austerely beautiful Malta has become a building site and rubbish tip.

It is true that one cannot compare Valletta with Detroit just as I cannot compare the Cottonera in which I grew up with the leafy northern English town in which I now live where, on a fine day, you can see the town hall. Comparisons may be odious but at least view like with like. I am a native of Cornwall (England’s Delimara) and could write by way of comparison – but I won’t.

I find Malta the most fascinating place on earth but understand why its tourist trade is going downhill.

For many years I have had to visit Malta on my own because my wife, family and friends steadfastly refuse to return. They sniff and say that Malta is a place that everyone should see – once.

I suspect that John Lane is visiting Malta for the same reason as I do – to meet Maltese friends. My own family, including my Malta-born brother, find the people delightful but your once noble and picturesque island is no longer such.

Peter Prictoe

Barnsley

South Yorkshire

UK