Sir, With reference to the reappearance of, and invasion into private property by, members of the travelling” community in the Glenrothes and other areas, questions must be asked.
Are they not members of the “Caravan Club”?
Lindsay Roy’s meeting with the local police provided the expected response. Travellers cannot be touched for “minor crime” whatever that is because of the “policy” of “non harrassment” as recommended, apparently, by the Scottish Government, and only too eagerly adopted by local authorities and the police.
Government makes the law, but it is not above it. How, then, can this “non harrassment” policy be legal, if there has been no parliamentary debate, vote, and, if approved, inclusion in the statute book or into any other method of legal promulgation? Is this “policy” written down anywhere?
How can our local authorities “legally” adopt is there a bylaw? this “policy” of non harrassment?
How could such a “policy” be remotely justified, removing many laws for some, but not for the rest of us?
The police must surely be guilty of wilful neglect of their (local) public duty, far in excess of their permitted exercise of “discretion”.
EU directives are no excuse for flagrant breach of the law and total disregard for others.
Many of us had hoped for better from the new policing arrangements for our country. Alas!
A T Geddie. 68 Carleton Avenue, Glenrothes.
Ranger correct in her views
Sir, It was good to read that Willie Young is lucky enough to have regular visits to his farm from ospreys (Letters, April 17). However, I would like to take this opportunity to reinforce what the ranger at the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Loch of the Lowes reserve quite correctly said with reference to human disturbance of nesting ospreys.
An osprey has superb eyesight. It can spot a fish in water from a height of 10 metres. It is precisely because they nest high up in trees that they will be aware of the presence of humans long before they get to within 200 metres of its nest, but that distance is the limit of their tolerance.
Ospreys are staunch defenders of their eggs and they will stay put despite intrusions by other ospreys, or opportunistic crows. Only the presence of humans will cause them to leave their nest. This is the legacy of their persecution to the point of extinction in Britain by 1916.
An entire breeding season can be wiped out if an osprey loses its entire clutch of abandoned eggs due to chilling, or by predation. This is why disturbance, whether wilful or through ignorance, can have such serious consequences.
I can assure Mr Young that other species can, and do, nest close to human activity, as is patently evident from the presence of songbirds in our gardens, so he need have no fear of an absence of nesting birds at Loch Leven.
Carolyn Taylor. 16 Gagiebank, Wellbank.
We all have a responsibility
Sir, I note the current furore over proposed changes to rubbish bin collection in Dundee and the concerns raised about moving to a fortnightly collection of general waste.
We have recently moved to Dundee from Bedford where residents have a large orange bin for all recycling materials, including paper, all sorts of plastics, cans, and many other items, although not glass. The orange bin is collected every two weeks.
Our experience, and our neighbours’ too, was that as you become more aware of what to recycle, the orange recycling bin gets filled up and there is much less general waste.
We all have a responsibility to become more aware of what can be recycled, and cut down on general waste; the council can help with information and education, but it is down to us as residents of Dundee to minimise the amount of waste we produce.
The council clearly has budget constraints but anyway it makes sense for us to “reduce, re-use and recycle”.
Gordon Shepherd. Dundee Road, Broughty Ferry.
Sacrifices on both sides
Sir, Alan Shepherd suggests (Letters, Saturday) we should reflect on those who made the ultimate sacrifice regardless of which side they were on.
That is why, come Armed Forces Day I will, as usual, be wearing the Afrika Corps badge, presented to me by an Afrika Corps veterans group, while I was still a serving member of the British armed forces, alongside my British veteran’s badge.
While there were many vicious killers, the vast majority were the same on both sides, young men doing what they thought was right for their country, and dying to satisfy old men’s ambitions.
Laurie Richards. 100 Crail Road, Cellardyke.
Final option missing?
Sir, While considering an entry to the VIP whisky tasting competition (April 14 -18) I was convinced the answers were not complete.
The question was: Whisky is sometimes enjoyed: a) on the beach; b) on the rocks; c) on the grass. Surely the answers should have included: d) all of the above!
George Becher. 27 Main Street, Dairsie.