I AM writing following your article about the proposed betting shop at 4, Courtland Road, Rose Hill, on the premises formerly occupied by the Oxford Bed Shop.

I am one of a group of residents in this area who has serious concerns about this proposal.

Firstly, as councillor Ed Turner, right, says, we do not need another betting shop in this area – there are already betting shops nearby, including a Ladbroke’s already in this parade.

The application for illuminated signage is also a concern.

We feel a new betting shop on such a large eye-catching site would have a devastating effect on our community, encouraging a rise in crime – theft, loitering, smoking, etc. and parking problems.

We are concerned that there are many vulnerable families living in this area and a new betting shop is the very last thing we need. We do not need or want it here. We need to consider the effect on people’s lives.

I would also like to draw your readers’ attention to fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) which enable people to lose hundreds of pounds in a few minutes.

There is already a campaign to outlaw these (see: www.stop theFOBTs.org) as they are causing huge problems. The Government has just raised the tax on these in the Budget from 20 per cent to 25 per cent. They are obviously far too lucrative.

Please support us. We do not want another betting shop here.

HANNAH BOYLE (on behalf of the Neighbourhood Watch Group for Courtland, Ellesmere and Annesley Roads, Rose Hill)

Courtland Road

Oxford