SIR – In response to the letter written by R Woods on July 1, 2010, and the comments made by Mr St Johns and others on your website. I would like Mr Woods and Mr St Johns to understand that my letter was on the back of several complaints that I had received from constituents from all walks of life.

It is my duty and right as an elected member of the council to raise concerns and issues that matter most to them.

I was shocked then to see the severity of animosity, almost to the point of hatred, for taxi drivers. There were even insinuations that I was playing to the tune of the Asian community and that the Asian Muslim community in Worcester is this all-powerful lobby that is immune to prosecution – without whom I would not have got elected. How ridiculous indeed.

I would like to point out there are about about 7,000 voters in the Cathedral ward and less than 10 per cent are of Asian background, yet I managed to achieve more than 1,500 votes. So, the majority of the votes that I won were from outside this community.

The traffic wardens and police regularly patrol along the road and do their job fairly and without discrimination. I would like to point out that those who have commented so vociferously and with some venom that my letter concerned the suitability of the road for heavy goods vehicles. In future let’s stick to the points that really matter and have a proper debate. I have been elected to serve the whole community, including those who didn’t vote for me, and I will always do that irrespective of race, creed or religion.

Councillor Jabba Riaz