I am an Englishman currently living and working in Malta. I feel I must answer Ian Waugh’s letter Frightened of our own youth (TMID, 14 December), firstly because he is representing a ridiculously jaundiced view of the state of the UK. I have lived in London’s East End – not a particularly salubrious area – for the last 15 years and can assure him that there has been no noticeable rise in the incidence of violent crime and/or teenage misbehaviour in that time.

In fact, I feel safer now than I have ever done in the past and the official figures for violent crime in the UK have dropped significantly over the last decade. Indeed the British Crime Survey states: “Violent crime has fallen by around 43 per cent since its peak in 1995 and has remained relatively stable between 2004/05 and 2005/06.” Mr Waugh would do well not to believe every sensationalist headline and story he reads in the UK tabloid press. I suspect if we look at the facts behind the stories we would find that there is an unprecedented level of data gathering and reporting on whatever happens to be the popular story of the moment, whether it’s obesity, teenage pregnancy or substance abuse.

Secondly, Mr Waugh states quite early on in his letter that “the youth of our country... won’t speak the English language”. He then states “We are living on

tender hooks”.

The correct English term is “on tenterhooks” meaning in a state of uneasy suspense or painful anxiety. The pot calling the kettle black, perhaps?

His later use of the term “nanny state” is also completely incorrect. He is using it to imply lenient treatment of offenders, whereas its actual meaning is a government perceived as having excessive interest in or control over the welfare of its citizens, especially in the enforcement of extensive public health and safety regulations.

While we’re on the subject, I would not call a suspended sentence of the sort dished out to the five students lenient. Would he rather we had more children in prison? I do hope that none of your readers take his dreadfully misguided diatribe seriously.

Paul Cave

Ta’ Giorni