ALAN Fitzpatrick (Letters, June 10) complains about "the apparent failure of many to wish to integrate" when he writes about immigration to the UK. I will remember that the next time I pop into Renaldo's, Mancini's, or Nardini's for an ice cream. Similarly when I am greeted by Indian and Pakistani proprietors of my favourite curry houses, or the Chinese owners of the many excellent restaurants in Glasgow, not to mention so many other ethnic and immigrant-inspired eating places throughout the UK. I suspect that what Alan Fitzpatrick really means is that many immigrants don't want to join us in swilling beer and munching crisps in the pub (something I do quite regularly, by the way).

His complaint that Britain doesn't have the housing, healthcare, and other infrastructure to cope with immigration isn't the fault of immigrants: what he implies however is that the UK is an impoverished and failing society caused by many political and economic missteps over the last 50 years. This isn't the fault of immigration. Indeed if he wants to see examples of industry integration and success then perhaps he should visit his local ice cream parlour, or take someone out to dinner.

John Jamieson, Ayr.

• ALAN Fitzpatrick argues that Nigel Farage represents the silent majority because he will put pressure on any future government to curb immigration. Apart from the fact that many, maybe even the majority, of the people have little or no problems with immigration, he uses a phrase that is an absolute red flag to me: the indigenous majority. Would he care to explain this rather nebulous expression? A proud name like Fitzpatrick suggests Irish-Anglo-Norman heritage: so when exactly do you become indigenous?

I am a proud new Scot from the Netherlands and my Irish-Dutch children have grown up here. Are they indigenous? Am I, after 27 years? Like many non-Scottish nationals, I have put roots here; have contributed to the social and economical fabric of this country. The problems mentioned by many people who want to curb immigration are real. However, they are not caused by immigration but by structurally underfunding vital services in this country; raising profits that go directly into the pockets of wealthy people.

I hear so often: it is not you we have problems with; you are integrated and speak the language; you know the customs. But there is a darker side to this, and it is time for Mr Farage and his ilk to come clean: what they mean by being "indigenous" is in fact being white and non-Muslim.

Trudy Duffy-Wigman, Crook of Devon, Fife.

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Home-grown police concern

YOU report that there is a lack of senior BAME officers in the Scottish police ("Still no BAME members on Police Scotland’s top team", The Herald, June 6). As this group makes up 4.5 % of our population one wouldn't expect many to reach the top. There should, however, be some BAME officers gradually ascending through the ranks.

Of greater concern is how few Scots-trained officers make it into the higher levels of the Scottish police force. It has been reported that eight out of 10 senior appointments are made to people who do not have much experience of Scots policing and familiarity with Scots Law.

Margaret Pennycook, Glasgow.

Gaelic signs aren't a problem

IT'S that time of the year again for what Alexander MacDonald called "Mìorun Mòr nan Gall" ("The Great Ill-Will of the Lowlander"), when folk emerge to have another dig at Gaelic (Letters, June 10). I hope to be driving in southern France quite soon where all around the countryside I know I'll see bilingual road signs in French and Occitan. These have never confused me in the slightest, just acted as a bit of education showing me links across the Romance languages and clues to the origin of place names.

Gaelic subtitles are the same, my ire being raised only when I think I've seen a misspelling or an odd derivation. At such times, I tell myself to get a life, and soon feel fine again.

Gilbert MacKay, Newton Mearns.

• YET again, one of your correspondents asserts that the use of Gaelic in road signs is an example of "political point-scoring" by a "spendthrift nationalist regime". The signs are in fact an outcome of the Gaelic Language Act, passed with the support of all parties by the Labour/Liberal Democrat coalition government.

Kenneth Fraser, St Andrews.

Renegotiate TV football deal

THE fact Sky Sports has announced that the TV audience for SPFL matches increased by a staggering 24% year on year is, perhaps, not such a surprise given Scotland leads in the European attendance figures per head of population.

The time has come to renegotiate the current TV contract. While we can only look enviously at the TV contracts of the "big five" countries, there is, surely, no reason why Scotland is being paid peanuts in comparison with for example, Austria, Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

John V Lloyd, Inverkeithing.

Let the best team win

WHEN Stephen Flynn, SNP leader at Westminster, was asked recently if Scotland get knocked out of Euro 2024, would he support England, his answer was an unequivocal “No”. I struggle with this attitude from followers of the Scottish football and rugby teams. For my part, if there is no Scotland then I am happy for the best team to win and if that is England then so be it. I simply cannot understand the psyche of many Scots who seem to take more pleasure from England losing than Scotland winning.

Duncan Sooman, Milngavie.

Stephen FlynnStephen Flynn (Image: PA)

Where were the eco protesters?

DID those walking between Edinburgh's Haymarket and Murrayfield at the weekend notice what was missing? Where were the Stop Oil protesters glued to the road? The funnily-dressed Extinction Rebellion protesters? The performers from Fossil Free music gigs? All missing.

I guess those fanatic egotistic groups decided their message would be ignored or perhaps they finally saw sense and realised nothing would keep the Swifties from attending Taylor's gig. Or are they keeping their wrath warm to protest at airports to stop flights to the Euros or blocking roads to Glastonbury?

Elizabeth Hands, Armadale.

Cue the summer horrors

I SHARE Gordon Fisher's antipathy towards barbecues (Letters, June 10). If unfortunate enough to be invited to one of these events, I would have to ponder the words of The Corries in their song "Come and Join Us": " There's cinders in your whisky/ and the beer is running out/ and what you see in Mum's coleslaw, you just don't think about".

Ugh!

David Miller, Milngavie.