The situation created by Boris Johnson's comments about women wearing a burka is of the country's own making.

For far too long free speech has been gradually restricted, putting us on the 'back foot' when expressing an opinion to someone, particularly if that person is of another race and who chooses to find the comments offensive, declaring it a racist comment.

Totally covering the face is alien to our culture. Is it reasonable that a person with their face totally covered be allowed to enter a service station or a bank while motorcyclists must remove their crash hats?My son was even asked to remove his 'shades' when going to pay for fuel as the male assistant found them threatening.

Would that comment have been made to a female wearing the burka?

Many people find meeting a fully veiled lady far more threatening but we must not make any comment or risk being called a racist, Islamophobic or any other phobic.

If a veiled student is permitted to attend university lectures, how does the examiner know it’s the same person taking the exam that has attended the lectures?

We have only ourselves to blame for the situation created by Boris’s comments, which were not racist. We are a pandering society which is totally different to a tolerant one.

Gender neutral status is the latest example of our politicians pandering to a minority. This is driven by political necessity, in the clamour for votes. Politicians, it would seem, are willing to restrict free speech in order to appease one person, while at the same time restricting another person's freedom of speech.

We have reached a situation where so-called free speech can be made, providing it does not offend people. Nobody has the right not to be offended. Where are we going as a society if we carry along this path?

We must be respectful to others of whatever nationality but they should be respectful to our culture and in this case not wear a full face cover in public.

Digby Hodgson

Lyth