SIR, In reply to Chris Jaeger’s article (More important things to get worked up about, March 16) about the ‘F’ word. I wrote the letter he refers to.

I worry, and think, about many things, large and small, that are wrong with the world. I don’t think I can do much about Russia and America, but I can try to do something about the over use of the ‘F’ word.

If it is used every day by so many people, why don’t newspapers print the word in full? If primary school children use it, why not use it in this year’s pantomime at the Swan?

How long will it be before the ‘C’ word is used as much as the ‘F’ word now is? After all the ‘C’ word is only slang for part of a woman’s anatomy.

I swear, but not all the time, as Mr Jaeger says he does. I think there is a time and a place for everything and in my home coming from the TV is not the place. If the ‘F’ word is OK to use why do the TV stations warn us before a programme that it is going to be used?

Mr Jaeger may say I could switch off the TV if it offends me, well I do. Sometimes a programme is good so I watch it, the problem is I don’t know when the actor is going to swear.

The public do copy what they see and hear on TV, so the more swear words are used, the more people will think it is normal practice to swear in normal conversation.

I wonder how long it will be before parents teach their children to use the ‘F’ word, when they are in the pram? As standards go down anything is possible.

So come on Mr Jaeger, stop worrying about Russia and America, and start thinking about the long-term decline of England and the English language.

But I fear it is too late.

JL REYNOLDS

Worcester