IN REPLY to letter was posted in your paper on May 18 about the Gurkhas, I would like to state that I am an ex-soldier who is appalled and amazed by what this gentleman wrote.

Obviously he has not had the pleasure and privilege of meeting these brave people who have been members of the armed forces for a long time now.

I have met a few in my army career and I have nothing for admiration for them. Surely if they enlist in the forces they have rights the same as anyone else who have given their lives for the country of their choosing?

Would the gentleman who wrote the letter, if he had been in the forces, refuse to work with the Gurkhas if they were posted to his unit or vice-versa?

If so, this to me verges on racism. These great men deserve all the help they can get from us and the Government after all the aid they have given us over the years.

If they want to stay in the UK, let them; they have earned it.

E Bradshaw, Charles Street, Selby.