SIR — Having looked out of my office window last week, there was yet another huge cloud of smoke, this time Hopcott/Dunster direction.

Surely the national park and the National Trust can do their "controlled burning" before the birds are nesting, the rabbits are having babies and the snakes still hibernating.

With global warming and this current spell of dry warm weather, the birds are well into their nesting and a few bringing up young birds.

Stories from firefighters and other onlookers report rabbits with their fur on fire running for their lives and starting another fire.

Further reports of adders making a dash for it over the contour path up North Hill and the desolate quietness of birds in the burnt areas are surely pointers that this should now be done earlier in the year - what is wrong with January rather than now?

I know that they will finish soon but also I wonder how many animals - young rabbits, baby birds, snakes - will die a horrible death, because to my mind the trust and national park are leaving this far too late in the year.

I can't imagine that everyone in the two organisations is exceedingly busy in January or early February and maybe if they did have to do their burning then it could be done before it kills or maims wildlife with the misfortune to be in the way of the flames.

Ann Donati,

Regents Way,