ONE of the pleasures of this time of the year is the sight of the few remaining fragments of wildflower meadows in Worcestershire.

You may have seen the recent report by Worcestershire Wildlife Trust that highlighted the dramatic loss of our meadows - another 30 per cent in the last 20 years.

How sad that in the face of many other threats to their survival, we still come across instances of orchids being dug and stolen in the wild as has happened in the Evesham area recently.

Such a selfish act deprives others of the enjoyment of a wonderful natural feature, and invariably leads to the loss of the plants that cannot live in totally unsuitable garden conditions.

In view of this, it may be useful to remind people that it is actually an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act to pick wildflowers or remove plants from the wild.

Worcestershire Wildlife Trust is working to encourage the growing number of people who recognise the value of these precious and fragile habitats.

Through this work to protect and restore our wildflowers and meadows, our children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy them in future years.

JOHN PAYNE,

Worcestershire Wildlife Trust.