MY family and I recently spent Easter weekend in London, travelling to Euston Station from Liverpool Lime Street and then commuting many miles on the London underground.

With it being our first visit to the capital, and regarding the negative publicity the rail service, and especially the Underground, receive we were slightly apprehensive about our travel arrangements, especially as we had three children with us all under the age of 10.

May I take the opportunity to tell you what a wonderful service was provided. The trains and the tube were always on time, they were very clean and comfortable and the staff were most obliging, the passengers' behaviour was absolutely impeccable.

On our return to Lime Street on Easter Sunday we boarded the 21.02 to Wigan for the final leg of our journey and how things changed, for the worse, due to a group of drunken men and women from St Helens who boarded the train at Lime Street. Their behaviour was animal like, they had no respect for my family or other passengers on the train. We had to endure a succession of the foulest and filthiest language which would have been out of place on a football terrace. Their behaviour was nothing short of disgusting and made me wonder what sort of young people can be found in the town of St Helens. Thankfully when we arrived at Thatto Heath and St Helens Central these hooligans left the train. Is it any wonder Merseyside has such a bad name. I can see why now, after being in the company of many thousands of high spirited people celebrating the Easter weekend in a proper and 'normal' manner.

Yes, I will return to London next year for a weekend break, but my travel arrangements will be different. I intend to travel from Wigan next year and avoid the drunken, obscene, unlawful inhabitants of St Helens, who make me ashamed to come from this town.w

Ashamed Sint Hellener (name and address supplied)