Letter: Grief for Jill Dando

Sir: Who writes your editorials? Whoever was responsible for the patronising, cold-hearted dismissal of the public response to Jill Dando's death (28 April) has forfeited the right to claim any understanding of society, modern or otherwise.

Of course people can make the distinction between a television personality and their own friends and family. To derive pleasure from watching the former in no way detracts from the affection felt for the latter.

The world is full of horror and aggression and so the death of a public figure who so luminously represented the opposite is bound to be experienced as a personal loss. To infer that this means people have nothing else in their lives is insulting and plain wrong.

Flowers are an expression of love, admiration and respect and should be recognised as the traditional way of acknowledging the passing of an honoured life. Sadly it has become just as traditional for the press to sneer and various worthies to carp about the waste of money (letter, 28 April).

Let's have lots of flowers, shed tears without embarrassment, grieve awhile and value the time we have left to enjoy our own lives and those of our friends, family and public figures like the unassuming Jill Dando.

Miss SIERRA HUTTON-WILSON

Evercreech, Somerset