Sir, - I wish to draw your readers' attention to the plight of the people who live in the catchment area of the rivers Swale, Ure and Ouse.

Historically, the Swale is the most volatile river in England and we, at the bottom end, have to suffer frequent flooding. On our farm alone, the flood last June ruined 50 acres of wheat and we also lost some sheep. Apart from these disasters we still had all the rubbish to gather up when the water subsided, ruined fences to be dismantled and re-erected and along with all this we have to pay drainage rates.

About ten years ago it was suggested that a dam would be built up Swaledale to even out the flow of water. I believe some research was done into this possibility.

Then almost immediately someone, I suspect some long-haired, pale-faced person, said: "You cannot do that, we would lose a valuable site on which a rare wild orchid is growing." End of dam.

A few years ago someone suggested that wildlife would benefit if the moors were drained, so they set about to dig large ditches across them. However, on discovering that as a consequence of the moors being too dry the flies etc had died off, they set about filling in these ditches. It seems that academics can get unlimited funds to carry out these stupid schemes when lack of funds is the usual cry for some genuine scheme that would have long-term benefits.

I saw red the other day when I came in at lunchtime and put the TV on for the news and caught the last few minutes of a programme showing representatives from the Environment Agency telling people how to prepare their houses in the event of a flood.

Is this all the hope the Environment Agency can offer to the heartbroken families who were flooded last month and whose homes won't be habitable until Christmas?

Is it not time that all the interested parties got together for some serious discussion? A dam must be built as soon as possible and a hydro-electric scheme included in the plans.

As I write this, yet another severe weather warning is in operation for Yorkshire and the North-East.

Surely there must be enough water coming down these valleys to support such a hydro-electric scheme which could supply electricity to the National Grid. Environmentalists continue to warn us about the hole in the ozone layer, yet we continue to burn fossil fuels to generate electricity.

STAN EXELBY

Newton Lodge

Gatenby.

Balanced view

Sir, - I refer to Countryman's comments last week on the swine fever outbreak in Norfolk (Careless gesture, D&S, October 13).

In dealing with its causes, he is correct only in saying that MAFF has attributed the outbreak to a processed pork product. MAFF scientists have not endorsed the "ham sandwich" theory.

Furthermore, Dr Mike Meredith of the Pig Health Information Centre in Cambridgeshire has dismissed the theory with the remark that "the Press seem to have arrived at this conclusion only by excluding other possible causes".

For a balanced information on this disaster, your readers should read the Farmers' Weekly.

They should ignore Nicholas Rhea's scaremongering and misleading regurgitation of inaccurate and speculative press reports.

DAVID LEYSHON

Ripley Road,

Stockton