While I welcome the announcement that Devizes will shortly host a comedy festival, I was extremely disappointed to read of the decision to book Jim Davidson.

I do not doubt that he has undertaken good charitable works on behalf of the armed forces, but in my opinion, Mr Davidson’s self-confessed racist, homophobic and sexist material will reflect badly on the reputation of the town.

I would urge the organisers and Wadworth, as the major sponsor, to review the decision. Wadworth prides itself on being a family-run brewery and is a company of which Devizes is rightly proud. I would hope that the sort of hateful messages that Mr Davidson perpetuates would not be tolerated in one of its pubs, so why is it right that he should be allowed to do so under the pretext of comedy?

Oliver Cripps, Devizes.