SIR – As a resident of St John’s in Worcester for nearly 40 years, the sooner the council implements tougher guidelines to landlords and students the better.

The residents of St John’s feel that they have already had their fair share of bad and anti-social behaviour from students which has been created by greedy landlords.

Landlords who buy three bedroomed dwellings and accommodate six students in them by using dining rooms, lounges and garages as bedrooms.

With so many students in a single property it seems more akin to a hostel, the amount of students per property should be limited to accommodate less students.

In today’s economic climate I would imagine that the council would prefer these properties to be rented by families who are eligible to pay council tax rather than students or landlords who are exempt.

It is clear that home owners suffer a reduction in the value of their properties when they are located close to student rents – the area of St John’s has been turned into a ghetto with noisy, badly behaved students and landlords who do not maintain their properties or gardens.

I am somewhat sceptical over the council asking for the public’s opinion on this matter, their support and action on the concerns raised by the existing residents of St John’s has been exactly the same of that by the university and local police – somewhat lacking.

Or is their agenda a cynical ploy to attract votes for the May elections?

R K GORMLEY

Worcester