MAY I comment on those fuel protest letters that have been published in the BEN.

The protesters were/are not speaking for everyone -- and certainly not for me. Why the farmers for one thought they had a special case beats me, with red diesel at 3 per cent tax they have nothing to complain at.

There are too many lorry drivers on the road anyway and they need to be forced to pay for the for the damage they do to the environment.

The protesters were in the main acting in their own selfish interests with no thought to the people that they were hurting, in particular the voluntary sector, which, to a great extent, are the backbone of the social/health sector. These people were unable to get special fuel dispensation as the protesters claimed.

It was an ill thought out and ill conceived exercise from beginning to end, and I'm very pleased that these selfish individuals have lost what public support they may have had. The place for protest if you're not happy with the government of the day is at the ballot box.

John Taylor

(name and address supplied)