FARMERS in Crowle may be bracing themselves for a visit by green activists soon.

The area is to host a maize trial to test the supposed attributes of genetically modified organisms, with the crops to be sown from the end of this month. All very controversial.

I'm not berserk about eating a potato that's been spliced with genes from a fish's backside, or whatever it is that's supposed to be in such Frankenstein foods".

However, I don't want some lentil-worshipper in white overalls who has probably driven to Worcester from Bristol destroying crops in the name of protecting consumers and the environment.

While accusations that the Government has been over-friendly with the agri-business lobby appear to ring true, there's no justification for banning trials outright.

After all, science is about testing and observation.

Or is rational thought an outdated concept these days?

I'd like the chance to consider the issue for myself rather than being dictated to by the eco-thought police.

How dare they presume to know what's best for me?

Critics say we should respect the precautionary principle" and err on the safe side.

This appears to boil down to banning anything as long as someone somewhere is a bit fretful about it.

No doubt adherents of this policy avoid using cars, given that thousands of drivers in Britain are killed each year.

In fact, do the eco-warriors get out of bed in the mornings?

Actually, they must do, for fear of breathing too much dust mites' waste and bringing on a nasty asthma attack.

There's nothing wrong with people challenging global corporations, but they should take care not to switch off their brains before they do so.