SIR — We farm on the Brendon Hills, and have been custodians for this land for 45 years.

We are most concerned - yes, angry - about what is going on in our beautiful countryside.

Through the backdoor, with local people and parish councils doing their utmost to stop it by writing, holding meetings etc, there is no way of stopping the tidal wave of our fields being covered with black solar panels.

Alternative energy is vital but should be utilised in a thought-out, thorough way.

Every house with a suitable south facing roof should be encouraged financially to install them, large farm barns the same, and all those enormous warehouses could certainly produce electricity worth having.

But to use our most important asset, our food-producing land, is madness. Even grade one land is being used.

We have some of the most beautiful countryside in the country and tourists flock here to enjoy it.

We might get the council to listen to us but at the end of the day it means nothing.

We have no power whatsoever against the giant firms paying the farmers big money to use their land, money a lot of very hard-pressed farmers just cannot say no to.

We are trampled on like ants. Is this what the government calls democracy? Is this what the government means by "The Big Society"?

Dave and Lena Lewis,

Wivelisocmbe.