EUROPHILE Brian Hanwell ("US of Europe – despite Julie Andrews shock", Your say, September 29 ) says: "I have read recently that we have the highest levels of crime, drunkenness and yobbish behaviour in Europe as well as the worst health service provision." A claim he has made before.

As GS Mason and David Sunderland have previously pointed out, to Brian's embarrassment, the situation has developed despite our EU membership since 1973. So EU membership hasn't prevented the "yobbish" behaviour from happening, has it?

So why should it cure it in the future?

Picture the scene. It's Saturday night, Wayne and Sharron are planning to go out, get blindingly drunk and behave badly.

Then Wayne suddenly remembers the EU and says to Sharron: "No we can't get drunk and behave badly tonight, because we're in the EU superstate now."

Oh, come on Brian, don't be so naive!

As David Sunderland and SF Brown have recently pointed out, along with Germany we are the paymasters of the EU, paying for other countries' better health care and the corrupt bureaucracy that is the EU.

Little wonder then we can't afford better health care ourselves.

Brian, I suggest you go back to watching Julie Andrews films, their naivety obviously appeals to you.

Paul Campbell