SIR — What terrible news for Watchet in particular and West Somerset in general was your report announcing the closure of Wansbrough Paper Mill (August 28).

Whilst DS Smith may be able to make a viable economic case for closure, they will surely be hard-pressed to justify their actions on moral grounds.

As well as a financial responsibility to their shareholders, all businesses in these circumstances have a social duty to their employees, and when the latter far outweighs the former and yet they proceed, then it can fairly be described as “the unacceptable face of capitalism”.

The company should consider the human costs when attempting to enhance the bottom line of their company accounts.

On a recent organised mill tour, I was hugely impressed by the efficiency and productivity that was apparent in all departments - the energy and enthusiasm of the workforce was plain for all to see.

I cannot believe it would be beyond the wit of DS Smith’s board of directors to make a few tweaks to this business rather than resort to wholesale closure.

As to health and safety, I came away thinking the company was over-vigilant in that direction and in the light of that experience, surely the new regulations cannot be that onerous.

Presumably, in the event of closure, there is a very valuable brownfield site ripe for development - a large housing estate which could only attract the economically inactive to this area; after all, there’s no work for the displaced workforce let alone incomers.

This would result in an even greater strain on our cash-strapped local authority.

I intend to write to the DS Smith chief executive and chairman begging them to consider the social consequences of their current policy and would urge everyone to do the same.

Edward Frewin,

Goviers Lane,

Watchet.