SIR — Is it my imagination or are the hedge cutters getting out there earlier than ever this autumn?

So many hedges in this part of Somerset have been drastically flailed before the blackberries have even ripened.

Why the desperate hurry to tidy up our roadsides?

The hedges have finished growing so are not going to cause further obstruction, but they are a wonderful source of food for our wildlife, needing to build up their reserves before the cold winter weather.

The hedges contain not only many fruits but an abundance of insects which are all destroyed during flailing.

It is so mean of us to do this to wildlife. Whilst we build new supermarkets to provide us with more than we need, we remove the natural supermarkets for the wildlife.

I am sure that if we as a species had to forage for our food, those hedges would be left untouched until every berry had been harvested.

If only those responsible could realise that February and March is the ideal time for hedge cutting. Every other year would be even better as modern machinery can cope quite well with this.

So please hedge cutters, consider the hungry and do us all a favour.

Somerset County Council could reduce its expenditure by not cutting roadside hedges during the nesting season which they do at present.

They could also leave many grass areas that provide a habitat for wildlife uncut. So many of these areas are in no way a hazard to motorists.

Meg Sunningdale,

Withycombe.