PLEASE, please, please tell me you have made a mistake when you reported (June 27) that £42 million pounds is to be spent on providing free fruit for four to seven year olds.

You can't be serious or you are having your leg pulled by Worcestershire's 'Healthy Food Inspector' (forsooth!) one, Cath Phillipson who told you (and us) that .... "This promotion is welcomed as a valuable addition to reinforce the message that eating fruit and vegetables help prevent serious illness and in later life." Tosh!

Just how many 4-7 year olds are there in the West Midlands ready and able to eat, say, 420,000,000 apples if they cost 10p each?

What are the salaries of those whose 'job' it is to distribute this incredible largesse? Why are they doing it?

There are of course people who should be giving their children fruit and or depriving them of sweets, hamburgers and fizzy drinks.

These people are called parents. They are not called 'healthy schools inspectors'.

As an example of the utter waste of £42 millions just bear in mind that such a sum would

1 Build about ten junior schools.

2 About 2,000 old people would not need to sell their homes to pay nursing fees.

3 At least 1,000 houses could be built.

4 Thousands and thousands of disabled people could have the home help they need.

And I'm sure your readers could supply plenty other examples of where money could be better spent. Why not ask them?

MRS M PORTMAN, The New House, Laverton, Broadway.