Sir, It was with some dismay and I must admit, some amusement, I read the letter regarding deer culling from Anne Haddow (March 7).
She declares a cull by trained marksmen to be cruel, but surely this is better than a doe seeing her fawn being mown down by a car or lorry, or conversely the fawn being left with no mother and being extremely lucky to survive on its own?
The truth is there are far too many for their own good and as spring and summer arrive with lighter mornings, they will soon be out in abundance at 5am, beside the roads bordering and going through Montreathmont Forest and other places, resulting in their death and damage to motor vehicles to be paid for by the owner. And yes, this is after taking extreme care, but their camouflage is good at the side of the road.
Can I suggest that if Ms Haddow wishes to prevent their deaths through car strikes or culling, then she can arrange to ship a few thousand over to Skye, where she stays, from Angus and The Mearns and save us all a problem, with the inherent damage to gardens, crops, young trees and the foodstuff of other forest species.
It wouldn’t be so bad if they were, as she states, on the hills, but the roe deer are not!
Geoff Bray. Heather Croft, Letham, by Forfar.
Other methods of note-taking
Sir, Re your article on the HIS Ninewells report (March 5), the headline states “no written notes” were taken by the HIS inspectors, during the original September 2012 inspection. This gives the impression the inspection was “sloppily” carried out.
These days, however, handwritten note-taking is an old-fashioned way to compile evidence and the inspectors almost certainly used “checklists” and utilised video and tape recordings. These will have been collated and incorporated into the final 24-page report which also contained “verbatim” quotes from patients.
The Courier article also quotes Chief HIS Inspector Robbie Pearson as apparently implying the September Inspection was not a “formal” inspection, but I can only assume this was taken out of context.
The report I downloaded from MSP Jenny Marra’s website was a formal final report and any suggestion otherwise is misleading to the public. The original report was not published but was “amalgamated” into a further HIS Ninewells inspection report after NHS Tayside challenged some of the findings.
A full summary of the NHS Tayside requests for changes and the HIS final report can be accessed from the HIS website.
Jennifer Helen Allan. 18 Grangehill Drive, Monifieth.
A hackneyed reference
Sir, Perth councillor, Elspeth Maclachlan, in her letter on the so-called bedroom tax (March 7) makes the hackneyed left-wing reference to “wealthy Tories”.
Voters do not need to be wealthy to vote Conservative. They simply have a different outlook on life, wishing to stand on their own two feet, work hard, pay their way and, if possible, not look for state hand-outs. Simple arithmetic should tell the councillor all Conservative voters cannot be wealthy. There are so many that most of them must be of quite modest means, such as myself and my parents before me.
On the other hand, Tony Blair is only one example of the many Labour politicians and voters who can be classed as very wealthy indeed, advocating comprehensive education and the NHS for other lesser mortals, but sending their children to private schools and making use of private clinics when ill.
It is very similar to the situation in the old Soviet Union which I visited in 1961. The few cars to be seen on the streets of Moscow and the then Leningrad belonged to high-ranking Communist Party members who preached equal rights for all, except that some were more equal than others!
George K McMillan. 5 Mount Tabor Avenue, Perth.
Kirkcaldy pong has returned
Sir, The Courier were very good over many years, (from 2001 to 2010) telling of the trials and tribulations facing the people of Pathhead, Kirkcaldy regarding the infamous Pathhead pong.
The sewage works went on fire on February 2 I alerted the fire services at 3.30am on that date and the part that went up in flames was the newest part, the odour elimination area.
So far, nothing has been done to eradicate the awful stench coming once again from that place.
Now we find out that it will be another seven to eight weeks before a part can be found to repair the damage!
Scottish Water haven’t a clue about customer relations or anything else. Their heads are firmly embedded in the Pathhead Sands.
Norma Rutherford. East Lodge, Mid Street, Kirkcaldy.