IN these days where our MP, and his boss Blair, are telling us all what a fine place the EU is and is going to be, shouldn't they first of all be considering their own British citizens who, in my opinion, were treated pretty harshly in Portugal.

Please don't think for one minute that I am tolerating brainless drunken yobs, I am not. However, I think that the media have a lot to answer for. Having worked in Holland for many years, I have seen blood running in the streets in Rotterdam and Amsterdam after football games and not a Brit in sight. The same applies to both Frankfurt and Hamburg, also in Madrid.

However, the following morning it may get a couple of lines in the papers, not pages of photographs and columns of inconsequential comments.

If however the EU is such a fine and equal place, why don't Messrs Straw and Blair get the local police to publish the average number of arrests on the Algarve during a normal summer holiday season and a list of the nationalities involved.

I think that you will find that there will not be many more than in a normal year. In fact, it is probably a safe bet that there have been more arrests on the Costas this week. They estimate 40,000 travelling fans, up to present around 100 arrested.

I think that the media would do a far better job reporting the good behaviour of the 99.75 per cent of the fans out there. Unfortunately, you would rather be negative and keep on about the 0.25 per cent of idiots. These you will find at any function or competition.

Blackburn is full of St George's flags, people are feeling patriotic. Support your people, don't give the idiots column inches for their scrap books.

DAVE POVEY, Leach Street, Blackburn.