Re: the longer term damage the current mass slaughter of animals and their burial will have on the environment.

Following the killing, the animals are sprayed with chemicals (100s of gallons) before being buried in the ground. The heavy rainfall we have had over the past few years means that the water tables in many areas are high and there is a real risk of the chemical contaminants now entering the water supply chain and more dangerously the food chain.

Research is already underway into probable linkage between chemical use/pollution and BSE. It will only be a matter of time before we find the panic driven action to eradicate foot and mouth devastating the environment, other farming activities and human welfare.

The Army and the various agencies are proceeding with the burial without any environmental impact assessment. This cannot be right. So act now - write to your local MP, Councillors, the Prime Minister and other organisations urging them to act. We need to stop the current culling, the burial and spend a bit of time looking at the bigger picture. KARUNA THARMANANTHAR, Blackberries Cottage, Sheriffs Lench.