9 JUNE 2007, Page 17

Liddle's hypocrisy

Sir: I write as an inmate of Rampton from March 1993 to October 2004, and can only conclude that Rod Liddle's likening of John Sweeney losing his rag at a Scientologist (Liddle Britain, 19 May) to an inmate at Rampton's reaction to having his porn allowance stopped is an attempt at humour. For Mr Liddle's information, while some 10 per cent of paranoid schizophrenics commit suicide, it is my contention that the percentage of schizophrenics who would rail in the manner Mr Liddle suggests to be something less than 10 per cent.

Mr Liddle's poor judgment in stating that, 'Perhaps this is the way forward for all of the Corporation's news and current affairs presenters — to abuse interviewees.... Brings in the punters' is matched by his assertion that, 'In fact, there are certain sorts of people whom the BBC thinks it's all well and good to be fairly nasty to.'

Robert Mutty Thorpe St Andrew's, Norfolk