Councillor Peter Cawthron, I would suggest, has a warped sense of propriety by saying that the F-word is no longer obscene (Gazette, October 27).

It is undoubtedly true that the word is used commonly these days.

If I may I would offer this example of what I mean.

A few weeks ago I upset a lady (my choice of word for her), driving a smart new 4x4 blocking the road while dropping off her children outside their school.

Read more >> F-word is not taboo - councillor defiant after standards investigation

In front of her children she questioned my birth and the F-word was spat at me constantly.

I would bet my pension that if her children were taught in school to speak using her language she would go berserk, so the same reason applies to Councillor Cawthron.

When children are taught, in school, to speak English using this sort of language, only then will those words cease to be obscene.

Tony Ashby

Colchester