Dear Editor,

I TAKE exception to the final remarks in the letter from Anthony Jones (Friday, April 3) where he states, "that the best example is the huge contribution made by our young and middle aged towards the inflation proofed pensions enjoyed by the retired".

Who does he think paid his parents’ pensions? Each generation has been taxed to contribute to the state pension of the day. I for one, worked for 44 years and paid my tax and national insurance fully over that period.

As for being inflation proofed: how would he like to live on £184.90 per week? and just as an example, a person working for 35 hours a week on the minimum wage (£12.71ph) would receive £444.85 per week.

It may also interest Mr Jones to know that a couple on the basic state pension are told that they get too much money (according to the government) to qualify for Pension Credit.

And now with the freezing of the tax bands even pensioners are going to have to pay tax. I don't know how old Mr Jones is, but just you wait until you retire and the younger generation are telling him that he is being supported by them!

Nigel Padfield, via email

Dear Editor,

I WAS pleased to see a letter from Andrew Brown in your last publication, he was a regular contributor to your post bag in the past with views about local matters and world affairs, as was his letter last week. I do hope you publish more of his letters in the future.

Dawn Worbern

Williton

Dear Editor,

THANK you to the Free Press for publishing my letter last week predicting the escalation of American aggression against Iran.

It is unbelievable that this conflict started by a country 4,000 miles west of the United Kingdom on a country 3,000 miles to the east of the UK will affect the lives of people in the West Country. The interest rate will increase effecting mortgages and other loans, food prices will increase due to restricted access and the unavailability of fertiliser, the increase in fuel prices is just the beginning.

The unpredictability of Donald Trump is staggering starting with the sinking of the Iranian ship 2,000 miles from its home country in international waters, without warning drowning over 80 seamen. As the US congress has not passed legislation declaring war against Iran this action breaches many aspects of international law, with such disregard for this what else will the US president do next

The country Iran this is directed to have a population of 90 per cent Shia Muslims with an indoctrinated doctrine of martyrdom with the BBC reporting parents allowing their children to walk across mine fields to clear them with a belief they will be martyrs and go to Jannah (Islamic version of heaven). With such fanatical beliefs there will always be Iranian men willing to drive fast bomb loaded suicide boats from hidden enclaves on tr Iranian coast in to the Strait of Hormuz leaving any tanker there vulnerable. The Strait of Hormuz is the Achilles heel of this conflict for the USA. The only option they have will be ground troops on the southern coast of Iran , in my opinion leading to a full scale war in the Middle East.

God bless America!

Andrew Brown

Minehead

Dear Editor,

ON Thursday, April 2, I went bird watching in Holford Combe in beautiful sunshine with a dear friend from Bristol. The woodlands were full of birdsong. We walked to the top of the combe leading to Bicknoller Post and sat under a Hawthorn tree to have our lunch admiring the stunning view across the Severn Estuary. We were delighted to see a small group of deer, four hinds and a stag running down off the moor towards the combe.

We were then horrified to see a pack of dogs come over the hilltop in hot pursuit followed by three riders on big horses. I couldn't help myself but jumped up to shout at them to leave the dear alone. We then realised there were a number of vehicles above us with other men and dogs in them supporting the hunters.

We walked up the hill to continue towards them and our destination, Bicknoller Post, to see that the pack and hunters were still pursuing the deer but then went out of our sight. I don't know if the dear survived but I very much doubt it. I took as many photos as I could of the vehicles involved.

We both felt extremely traumatised by the experience and I don't feel I could go back to Holford Combe, one of my most favourite places for bird watching.

I got on my phone and reported it to the police and gave them the registration numbers of the vehicles involved. It has been recorded as a ‘Wildlife Crime’. In the light of your front page exposé of illegal deer hunting on the Quantocks, I felt I had to write this letter.

I sincerely hope that this sort of activity can be stopped. I know the deer need to be culled, but it can be done in a humane way, with expert marksmen. Not hounding these beautiful animals until they are exhausted, terrified and brought down by dogs and ripped apart.

I still feel incredibly upset by what I witnessed.

Name and address supplied.