SIR — Up until approximately 1998 large colonies of swifts would regularly return each year to our road and it was such a joy to see them and to revel in their aerial displays. I felt it was a quintessential part of spring and I used to know almost to the day when they would arrive.

Gradually I began to notice their numbers were beginning to decline. Why? Because, unfortunately, I live in a road where the houses are all Victorian, and it was becoming obvious to everyone that one by one each property would need a new roof. Modern roofing practices mean that once a new roof is in place the swifts can no longer gain access to their nests and rear their young. Yet the old style roofs had lasted up to 120 years in some instances.

The swifts cause no damage and are clean creatures and leave no outward sign of their occupancy. I was desolate to see what was happening, and am not at all surprised to learn that the RSPB has now placed swifts on amber alert signalling their catastrophic decline over the last ten years or so.

However, all is not lost here in Minehead. At last, at long last, a local builder has been prepared to act to provide access for these birds to their nests. So this year I have seen the swifts return and, even though there is a new roof, they have not been summarily evicted from their homes as in former years. The integrity of the new roof is not impaired at all.

Anyone who is worried about swifts and wants to know how he did it, I can provide full details of this wonderful man who has a real heart for wildlife. My thanks, too, to the owners of the property who also wanted to see the swifts prosper. I just hope and pray that other builders will follow suit and that our children and grandchildren will derive the same pleasure as we do when in early May the swifts return after their marathon journey to delight us with their wonderful presence.

It is hard enough not to hear the cuckoo. Not to see or hear the swifts would be truly heart breaking.

Jenny Growden,

Blenheim Road,

Minehead.