In response to you article regarding an "illegal" travellers' site in the Bagworth area ("Legal action taken to close down illegal traveller site", Mercury, April 15), I know I need to be careful here so as not to sound racist or discriminatory towards travellers, but they are a law unto themselves.

They ask for rights but do not respect the rights of others.

They complain that they are persecuted, but act in a way which breeds resentment towards them.

You may feel that as I live in Leicester I would not be affected by travellers, but I regularly cycle on and around the roads and lanes of west Leicestershire and past many of these traveller sites.

During my rides I have been attacked and chased by unleashed dogs.

I have, along with friends, been driven at by a 4x4 vehicle, which was deliberately on the wrong side of the road, while its occupants laughed. Most recently, while riding up to Bagworth, I had a half full bottle of water – the water still being in the bottle – thrown at me from a car belonging to travellers.

You may now ask why I know they are travellers? It's because they turn into travellers' sites!

And before anyone asks, no, I don't report these incidents to the authorities, because as your article shows, the authorities will and can do little to prevent travellers doing what they do.

I sympathise with the local residents near to these sites.

It is not "racist" or "discriminatory" to say that they are frequently a "bad lot", with little or no respect for anyone else, who are often the first to play the racist and human rights cards when it suits their needs.

Wayne Henderson, Leicester.