SIR — We refer to your correspondent John Higgins' letter (Free Press March 25).  We would have responded in time for last week's Free Press but had a busy week shining up the Mercedes and washing the mud off the 4x4 – it's hard work being a toff. 

Anyway, we would recommend Mr Higgins pay a visit to Minehead in the near future. We hear that the new hospital is well equipped to surgically remove chips from shoulders.

Whilst in Minehead, Specsavers should be able to provide him with a pair of glasses so that the next time he ventures up from Doniford to cast a critical eye around Williton, his new specs would reveal to him that there are no more "fuel swilling 4x4s or flash Mercs" in Catwell and Half Acre than elsewhere in Williton.

Had Mr Higgins found the time to study the planning application for the proposed supermarket, he might have noticed the statement that questionnaires had been sent to all households in Williton and surrounding villages. 

Unfortunately it seems that very few households actually received the questionnaire – a fact that did not prevent the planning application from claiming overwhelming local support for the proposal. 

Even busy people will find time to attend public meetings if they feel strongly enough about local issues.   

We can only assume that, if Mr Higgins could not be bothered to attend the meeting that was held, he had no strong feeling either way, and it has to be be noted that no one there spoke in favour of the proposed supermarket.

If Mr Higgins had wanted to insult the entire village with his patronising references to toffs and poverty, he should have had the courage to attend the public meeting and to stand up to abuse us in person. 

Alan Coomber and

Roger House,

Williton.