Sir, - May I endorse the anger and upset of H.J. Beckett (May 1st) at the desecration of hedgerows, which sadly is not confined to Wicklow.
Everywhere I go I see miles of age-old hedgerows massacred, sturdy trees slashed through, in a way not possible before the advent of modern machinery - hedgerows which are a unique part of our heritage, admired by countless visitors, havens of security for plants and wildlife. This is official vandalism, apparently, smiled on by the EU and allowed throughout April when every hedge is full of nests and young birds.
A crying shame. - Yours, etc.,
Claire Mulholland, Dromineer, Nenagh, Co Tipperary.