I WRITE about the article in last week's Gazette about Jim Lynch, The Crown/Bar OC landlord.

As an employee and customer I have to reply in his defence. Jim had already made a collection in aid of the Tsunami Appeal by the time the Red Cross made their call.

It was an understandable mistake when the request was made by phone. Surely the Red Cross people could have spoken to Jim and shown some kind of identification as we are all told to be seen if necessary to protect himself and mostly his customers from bogus collectors, who appear in pubs and private homes all too often in these days.

I have known Jim for 16 years and assure your readers that he is always the first person to help out with any worthy charity.

Over the last few months alone he has given to the Russian children's disaster, Parkinson's Disease charity and three local charities.

I feel the report makes Jim and his customers sound like scrooges. They all give to charity in a quiet way, not expecting or wanting publicity for what they do, and in fact they are still collecting for the tsunami disaster by sponsoring a customer's son in a swimming marathon.

Well done Jim and customers.

K OLIVER

Devizes