I NOTICE from your article headlined "Fears for Public" (Evening News, Monday, December 10) that a scaffolding firm has been fined £8,000 for not adhering to a guideline.

The Health and Safety Inspector noticed the so-called offence during his lunch break only yards from his office. Is the only time he leaves the office when his stomach rumbles? I suspect that, if the work was being carried out some distance away or worse on a muddy site, it probably wouldn't be noticed.

The scaffolders are being advised to work early in the morning or evenings so as not to endanger the public. Presumably the Health and Safety Inspector will not be around to monitor the work at this time and so the contractor could get away with flouting the guidelines.

The article made no mention that the scaffold structure was unsafe, that members of the public had complained or that an accident had happened. The company was guilty of not adhering to a recently introduced set of guidelines.

Over-regulation is starting to destroy our nation, causing our trains not to run on time, contributing to the spread of foot-and-mouth and generally making the country uncompetitive.

One of the reasons that there is a shortage of nurses, teachers, police, plumbers and so on is over-regulation. Our European partners sign up to the same regulations and basically ignore them.

I am sure that the reason Mr Wilks has taken a back seat in his company is that, like many middle-aged people in the building industry, he cannot cope with the increasing bureaucracy.

RAY FINCH,

Lower Broadheath,

Worcester.