IF you sometimes feel this great nation of ours is coming apart at the seams, you have only to look at forests.

First, some smart alecs at the Defra persuade David Cameron that he can save  fourpence ha'penny by sacking half the Forestry Commission staff. Next we have an expert on llamas offering to run the Dean as a charity.

Joining in the fray, the Review (blessed be its name) then runs a four page supplement inviting all the petrol heads in the area to join in a rally, tearing up the greenery, scaring the wildlife, and polluting the atmosphere.

Believe me, my sympathies go to that nice Mark Harper MP who's probably wishing he'd never heard of the Forest of Dean and is even now applying to Central  Office for some good safe seat like Birmingham South.

– David Datta, Bicknor Street, Coleford.