In his report from Bosnia broadcast on the 9.55pm news, John Simpson referred to the possibility of either Bosnian Serbs or Muslims "welshing on the deal". If, like me, you feel that whatever the origins of this expression are, its defamatory tone contributes to the long-standing prejudice which brands all Welsh people as essentially untrustworthy and dishonest ("Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief..."), please join me in advising the BBC that you find the term offensive and object to its inclusion in news reports. A small point perhaps, but can you imagine the justifiable outrage there would be if a news reporter used the expression "Jewing someone"? The BBC took enormous care in its choice of words when reporting the death of Stephen Milligan MP ("orange" was banned) and it is regrettable that similar care is not taken over expressions with racist overtones, though I do accept that Mr Simpson meant no offence. Timothy Huw Davies Assistant Librarian, Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London