Sir – I am writing as I take great offence at David Cameron’s remarks at the youth club Base 33 in Witney. His thoughts and words are sexist and at the very least archaic, as it has been proved through research into this very “area” that children from one parent families do not necessarily become unruly, lawless teenagers or adults.

Fathers being present do not always create a stable background, the same can be said about mothers. My own father was killed when I was six years old, my mother went into decline with illness after illness, my sister and I coped and did not steal, riot, loot, maim or kill because we had no or very little parental guidance.

We were raised in a very affluent family but after my father’s death that changed completely Yes, sadly there are the minority who are weak minded enough to see what is happening and decide to join in, but the vast majority of teenagers and young adults know the difference between right and wrong and they do not cross that line, and that is where youth workers (I am an ex-youth worker), and others can aid those who need aid, as very often it is a show of bravado, and when made to feel foolish and disgusted with themselves, they will turn themselves around and become good people, and quite often help others who they feel are about to go the “wrong way”.

Case in point, an ex-drug addict is best to aid those who are drug addicts as they know what the person is going through, an ex-thief is a wonderful security person as he/she knows all the angles, the best gamekeepers are those who were poachers! Don’t blame the families who have only one parent, blame your Government for making the thief, or mugger, or rapist, or murderer the one who ends up getting lenient sentences and being paid compensation for breaching their human rights, so in truth you have no one to blame except yourself!

Sharon Keen, Oxford