I AM a BA English student studying with the University of Exeter in Cornwall. I currently live at the Tremough Campus and over the weekend had my vehicle vandalised. I read an article in the Packet in which the residents of Penryn complained about the students' parking habits. Consequently I see it as only fair as I too, as a student, may have my say: I understand the frustration the residents feel, as they might feel the students are taking up "their" parking spaces. However, surely the correct way to face the problem is to contact the council, not attack the students. On seeing the broken windscreen wiper, two broken wing mirrors and slashed tyre of my car, I felt both violated and disgusted with whoever thought it necessary to inflict their anger or frustration upon my property. However, having contacted the police I found that this was not a unique occurrence but that it had happened to many other cars on Greenwood Road over the weekend.

It is paradoxical in itself that by slashing tyres and other such vandalism, the cars may not move for some time, equalling in "their" spaces being taken up for even longer. I pay my tax and insurance and was not obstructing anyone's drive. I was not parked on double yellow lines and I was not breaking the law in any way. However, those who resorted to terrorism committed a crime and therefore did break the law. I find it highly ironic that whilst students are often condemned by the media as drunken, loud, thugs that it is not us who are creating victims, but are being victimised.

I pay £3,000-a-year for my degree and on top of this my accommodation fees. I chose to come to university in spite of this vast expense and I chose to bring my car. However, does this make it right for me to have to pay £70 for damage to my car, just because the road I legally parked on had people that weren't happy about it living there!

The CUC Campus and all its students have done, currently do, and will continue to promote both Penryn and Falmouth. Not only do we provide a great deal of revenue for them both throughout the year, but we also add a sense of youth and liveliness to a place considered by many young people as dull. The university has provided jobs and boosted the prestige of Falmouth and Penryn, of which few above Bristol may have heard. More students will come and consequently so will their cars. Therefore I suggest that they sort it out soon.

The basic question comes down to this: if the residents of Penryn are fed up with where the students legally park, why don't they do something about it - legally?

Abigail Field (address supplied)