I WAS very disappointed and dismayed at the so-called organisation of the public meeting last Friday evening at the Main Place in Coleford.

Who on earth would organise somewhere that would only seat 200 people, knowing there would be an uprising with those who couldn't get in, which there were in big doses?

I arrived there at 5.50pm to make sure of parking. Most of the left hand side of the car park had been cordoned off, and to make sure of a seat myself, among many others who were there early, congregated on the landing of the first floor and eventually were allowed into the hall at 6.45pm.

However, we were advised on entering "Don't sit on the first row, that is reserved." Now this was supposed to be a public meeting!

Quite a few people had questions to ask, myself being one. From the time Brian Thornton opened the meeting and Mark Harper said his piece, about 10 minutes in all, my hand was raised for question time. Brian Thornton decided he would pick his people to present questions regardless of who had their hands up and consequently at 7.45pm I?decided enough was enough. I didn't exist as far as Brian Thornton was concerned, so I wrote my name and address on my question paper and put it on Mark Harper's table and left the building.

The PA system was non existent. The heckling from outside drowned out everything Mark Harper was saying, albeit, in answering each question, it seemed the only pat answer he had was "the Government had no intention of selling off the Forest of Dean." So one of my questions to him was: "Who allowed and why was Bircham Wood already sold, together with shooting rights?"

What happens when a group of people decide to walk through this wood, which they have every right to do, as did the Warren James group? Every huntsman knows, for the shooting of deer and boar, high velocity bullets are used which are dangerous to a man at a mile and everyone knows that they will ricochet off a stone or a tree or the ground.

Can I suggest that in future organisers think about the venues for these meetings, perhaps somewhere such as the Miners Hall in Cinderford or Lydney Town Hall, where people will at least have a chance to put their views? Also, with question time, numbers be handed out and called in the correct order, and a little more time to be given to the advertising of such a meeting.

– Mrs Mary Meredith-Edwards, Sling.