WILLIAM ROBINSON in his article “Echoing a social concern” (Echo, Jan 12) says that the propensity of some men to exploit vulnerable young females for sex is a concern we had long before Pakistani immigrants.

That is not to say that there are not predators amongst the Pakistani communities in this country, but I think that people like Jack Straw generalise about it in a way which only indicates to me an attempt to curry favour with some electors. I have never regarded Mr Straw as a man of principle.

It is interesting that an early editor of The Northern Echo raised this concern more than 100 years ago.

Sadly, we still have a long way to go to teach men to respect the opposite sex and for girls to be raised to have self respect.

Sex is a powerful impulse and we have much still to do if we are to prevent unwanted pregnancies and agree on how sex education should be conducted.

It does not help when some politicians encourage racial stereotyping.

G Bulmer, Billingham.