25 JULY 1998, Page 26

Sir: Paul Johnson is absolutely right. There are too many

columnists in English-lan- guage journalism and some of them stoop, as he says, to personal abuse that is igno- rant, nasty, queasy-making and brutal. His 18 July column is all those things and snarlingly misogynistic as well. Isn't it time you sacked him?

Incidentally, is he the same Paul Johnson who was overheard last Christmas introduc- ing Allison Pearson to his wife as a 'marvel- lous writer'?

Sue Gaisford

Independent on Sunday,

One Canada Square,

Canary Wharf, London E14