The recent heavy rainfall reveals in great clarity what happens when ditches are filled in – rather than increasing the size of their fields farmers will find their precious top soil being washed away.

The removal of hedges has a similarly devastating effect - high winds are given full access to blow that top soil away.

Farming without conservation, just concentrating on consumerism, is criminal and will, in the end, mean that we all end up losers.

With Brexit on its way and subsidies being stopped by Europe, and the possible removal by our government of those subsidies, we need reassurance that these areas will be encouraged to be preserved.

It would be good if farmers could be encouraged to think of increased productivity in a new way – for example through the use of poly tunnels (meat eating being in decline), making us more self-sufficient and not dependent on Europe.

Peter Phillips, Blue Anchor.