THE recent article on the Bracken Eradication Plan for Clee Hill costing £500,000 and involving helicopters spraying toxic chemicals, show how foolish people are!

Their planning such stupid things must be awash with money (not their own perhaps) otherwise they would not be so spendthrift.

Sheep living on land sprayed with ASULOX will lose any organic status, as the chemical is particularly toxic.

There is an alternative as we have proved, rare breed sheep.

We took over hill land near Church Stretton, which had waist high bracken covering it, and were advised to use Soay sheep to clear the weeds.

Somewhat sceptically we acquired half a dozen Soays and within two years they had cleared six acres of bracken for good.

We have supplied several wildlife trusts with Soays to clear bracken, and the answer to Clee Hill's problem would seem to be to allow this breed of primitive sheep to be introduced to the Common.

If only a fraction of the money being wasted on bracken clearance was invested in Soay sheep, the weed problem would be solved naturally.

Soay sheep are as profitable as Welsh, and are extremely hardy, requiring little attention even during lambing and unlike other breeds do not need shearing or dipping because they shed their wool naturally in June.

We would be happy to supply a nucleus of Soays to anybody interested in clearing bracken, and there is a local abattoir, Griffiths at Leintwardine, who can kill and prepare lambs in the most human and unstressed surroundings, for those who wish to eat their own organic lamb. Telephone: 01694 751287.

Anybody who wishes to see the Soays are welcome, but please telephone first to avoid a wasted journey.

W F Kerswell,

Picklescott,

Church Stretton.