AS members of the Malvern Terrace Artists, at our annual exhibition at Hanley Swan recently, we decided, in our dinner break from our duties, that as it was such a beautiful day, we would picnic round the pond in the village - only to find it disgusting.

Firstly, dead fish on the bank, maggot-ridden, a blackbird dying nearby, long grass and nettles and bird mess on the seats. This obviously put us off!

On enquiring, we were told a gentleman used to take it on himself to maintain this land voluntarily but had since moved away. Surely something has to be done to put the pond back to its former glory!

R SKENTON, Old Hollow, West Malvern.