CAN I dare to suggest that it is about time that we the people, caused our local authority to take a more thoughtful approach regarding the closing of every footpath, as result of the current problems.

We have in the main all complied with the closure, and support the action taken in the hope that anything we do will be helpful, our farmers certainly deserve that. In the event I cannot see or have I heard of anything good as result of our compliance.

If we accept that closing footpaths is helpful in the fight, should we then take the view that some if not many footpaths are not located in areas that can have any affect at all. The hysteria of racing around and closing any footpath seems to me to be stupid.

In the area around Bredon for example there are some paths closed that make the effort to help become farcical. Take the path recently laid as a highway footpath in the interest of road safety, it runs from the Eckington river bridge up the hill behind the hedgerow, about 100 yards or so, to the edge of the village, closed. Are we really prepared to let children get injured or worse, is that helpful? Then there are several that go across land from one road to another, land that has not seen livestock for years, or is within sight of any, its crop land, that tractors are on and of almost daily, they have to be at this time of year. Helpful?

On the other hand if I walk from Bredon to Kemerton on the highway footpath, I go so close to sheep etc. I could stroke them. I have to suggest that we have here the typical reaction of local authorities losing all sense of proportion to the real world. Come on, we care, we want to help, but lets have some common sense thrown in too.

KEN BROWN, Kasani Lodge, Eckington Road, Bredon.