PEOPLE are right to demonstrate against Boris Johnson's racist remarks about Muslim women 'looking like letter boxes' or black people 'with watermelon smiles'. They are also right to question the chronic underfunding of public services including the NHS.

Protesters did not prevent the Prime Minister from visiting Westhoughton.

Johnson cancelled the visit to Bolton West just as he cancelled his visit to Rochester the day before when only five protestors turned out to greet him.

Johnson likes to play the buffoon but in reality he is a bully and a coward.

He neither wants to meet ordinary voters nor be grilled by the likes of TV presenter Andrew Neil.

Several workplace Reps from my Trade Union branch attended the peaceful protest because as Mental Health workers in the Community we deal with the rotten effects of 10 years of Tory austerity every day.

One woman protester was threatened by a Johnson supporter. One of our reps, a 64-year-old nurse was punched. And another Johnson supporter snatched Stand Up to Racism posters and leaflets and then provocatively tore then up.

These are the people that should be condemned and even prosecuted, not the decent citizens standing up for our NHS and against racism.

Neil McAlister

Chair Bolton United Trades Council (TUC)