6 OCTOBER 2007, Page 20

In Anita's defence

Sir: It seems a little unfair that Judi Bevan's critical summing up of Anita Roddick was based on the fact that she wasn't perfect (Moral superiority in cheap plastic bottles', 22 September). I don't think Anita ever said she was. What's so despicable about eating chicken?

Despite her 'imperfections', she contributed a huge amount to British entrepreneurialism and helped an awful lot of people, myself included, get innovative ideas off the ground. She taught us that profit can fit with ethics, and that if you want to help people and causes you believe in and if you want to support innovation, then business is a valid way of generating funds to do so — and it's more effective than bleating that the government should 'do something about it'.

Perhaps the City couldn't cope, but she helped and employed far more people than I or Ms Bevan ever will!

Richard Little Southampton, Hants