I WAS sad to hear yet another report of violence in Northern Ireland involving 'hundreds of people.'

I was even more surprised when watching the television coverage to see that the 'hundreds of people' appeared to have shrunk to about 50 being actively violent.

There are enough problems in Ireland without the media making it worse.

Much is also being made of the Prince of Wales meeting people who have been indirectly involved in IRA violence. Are we really being asked to believe that none of the Unionist side has been supporting the Unionist terrorists?

It's time the media gave the ordinary people of Ireland a chance and stopped deliberately trying to create friction by indulging in sensational reporting.

G SMITH, Bold Street, Blackburn.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.