It's a little simplistic to accuse Dorchester residents of not caring about the plight of the homeless (A town full of apathy', Echo, May 5). Speaking out for or against The Hub is a bit of a hot potato, so I have my oven gloves on!

Who are the homeless'? Some of them seem perfectly pleasant people who have genuinely fallen on hard times. Of course most of us would like to help them - though not necessarily by paying huge sums for strange items donated by celebrities. It is more likely to be a Big Issue here perhaps, a small donation or a kind word there.

However, some homeless people are foul-mouthed and aggressive. So much so that The Hub itself is now unable to refer the group to The Salvation Army charity shop because of loutish behaviour by a minority. This notice appears in The Hub's window. Yes, you see, some of us care enough to go by and look.

The work done by the Hub needs open debate. It is charitable and necessary. Yes, the poor are always with us and we should be kind. What kind of society would we be if we weren't?

But the homeless are not one undifferentiated group. They are people with different problems and different behaviour. The Hub, if it is do these people a favour must do the job properly - or not at all.

We all have to confront the issue.

Vicki Black, Ashington Street, Dorchester.