Reading LJ Smith's complaint on the ineffectiveness of the law surrounding gipsies and travellers, it seems to be another case of undue discrimination ("Soapbox: Police lack of action", May 12).

The suggestion of labelling gipsies and travellers as "criminals" further highlights the cultural misunderstanding of this group.

It is important to point out that a legal requirement by councils to provide campsites for gipsies and travellers was abolished in 1994.

Ever since then, life for gipsies has been hard as they have to stop in unsuitable, often dangerous, locations and are constantly moved on.

Gipsies and travellers are human beings and therefore will always have human rights to live without being discriminated against.

Gipsies and travellers are responsible members of society.

They pay their road taxes and income taxes when they are working or they are self- employed.

If they are fortunate to find a council-authorised site, they have to pay council tax and licence fees on settled sites.

The article pointed out that the campsite site was actually privately owned. Perhaps it provides a welcome haven against the undue discrimination by some communities and the council pressure to evict.

Significantly, gipsies and travellers are not always provided with refuse collection because the councils will not cover these "unauthorised" sites.

This is often the reason why people get the impression that gipsies' campsites tend to be untidy with little regard for the environment.

As authorised sites where gipsies and travellers pay their taxes, they would have the right to have their refuse collected.

If the complaint was referring to experiences of criminal behaviour by some gipsies or travellers, this is often due to a very small group who do not comply with the laws.

The same can be said of any other groups and communities. Unfortunately, gipsies and travellers often get negative media and as a consequence, they are stuck with the label of being "criminals" rather unfairly.

Bristol City Council has made a gipsy and travellers myth-buster booklet which I suggest as essential reading.

Please do look this one up before making any judgements about this most misunderstood group.

The booklet points out that if that if a suitable long-term site is provided, gipsies and travellers often get on well with their settled neighbours.

Therefore, fears about the establishment of sites leading to increased crime in the surrounding areas are baseless.

It is also interesting to note that the booklet refers to discrimination against gipsies and travellers to be the last "respectable" form of racism.

If the article suggested people of Afro-Caribbean decent were criminals because of their way of life, it would constitute racism.

Why are gipsies and travellers exempt from this?

I hope the reader would now realise that police action to evict or penalise them would not be an effective solution in the long term.

Matt Nichol, Student Social Worker.