I WAS totally horrified to read the one sided article in Business South (Daily Echo, August 16) about the landlord of the Court Jester in Southampton objecting to a mental health drop-in centre next door to his pub. He used emotive language conjuring up all sorts of assaults and damage caused by mental health sufferers.

I would like to give a more considered perspective.

1. It is not planned to be a drop-in but an outpatient facility. Why should there be queues in the street if there aren't any at outpatients?

2. Clinics for normal people? Over 59 per cent of people are women, so why worry about women at outside tables?

3. The majority of people with mental health problems are gentle, insecure and frightened of other people because of the terrible abuse that has caused them to be the way they are.

4. Statistics show that if you have a mental health problem, you are more likely to be attacked than to attack.

I have had mental health problems (anxiety and severe depression) for nine years, all my friends have mental health problems. I have never met a more intelligent, caring, but hurt, group of people in all my 44 years.

PENNY MOLE, Hythe.