Sir, - I feel I must respond on behalf of Middleton St George Parish Council to your reports (D&S, County Durham edition, Aug 18 & Sept 15) concerning the use of a herbicide by the model boat club on No 2 reservoir at Middleton Water Park.

I can provide you with some facts instead of the blatant scaremongering which is currently being trailed around the village by a very small minority of people.

The reservoir was treated in March to control excessive growth of weed. The work was carried out by an expert in this field (Dr J Newman of Aquatic Plant Management) using a formulation of dichlobenil which is approved for use in water by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The relevant notification had been provided to the Environment Agency.

Following recent allegations, the water park has been inspected once by Darlington Borough Council's public protection division and on no less than four occasions by a fisheries officer from the Environment Agency. Nothing untoward has been found.

Our own bailiff has found two dead fish, both from No 4 reservoir which had not been treated. There was nothing suspicious about these deaths.

I believe I am entitled to ask where the evidence is to prove that there is a major problem. Mrs Garry claims her dog was sick after drinking the water and was taken to a vet.

Where is the vet's report? Who is to say the sickness was caused by drinking the water? Why did she leave it from April until August to report the matter? It is now four weeks since I met with the chairman of the wildlife group and Mrs Garry and asked them to provide me with a list of their concerns and evidence to back their complaints. Why am I still waiting?

This matter has been blown out of all proportion by the complainants. Their rude and sometimes hysterical behaviour has been disgraceful, requiring the intervention of the police at our last meeting.

In conclusion, I would say that the parish council prefers the opinions of the experts we have spoken to rather than the spurious allegations of only three or four people who have not yet provided a shred of evidence to back their claims.

However, I am prepared to state that if they still feel they have a grievance, I am happy, under certain restrictions, to arrange for a meeting to be held to discuss the matter sensibly. The parish council are the guardians of the water park on behalf of the villagers and we as much as anyone wish to see it used properly and to its full potential.

Coun BRIAN JONES

Chairman, Middleton-St-George Paris Council

The Oaklands,

Middleton-One-Row.

Just bananas

Sir, - May I be allowed to respond to the rather odd letter from my conservative opponent on our borough council, Coun Barbara Harpham (D&S, Sept 15).

Barbara is exercised by the prospect of more housebuilding on greenfield land within our borough. She speaks eloquently of the need to identify "plots of land within towns and villages which can be utilised".

She is of course totally right. That is the core of our local plan approach. However there is a problem in that when either this council, or a private developer, comes along with proposals to do exactly that, her Tory group always vote against.

I feel that our local Tories are now really ground breaking. They have moved beyond being simply Nimbyists to becoming pioneering advocates of the BANANA approach to planning - that is build absolutely nothing anywhere near anyone.

Coun DAVID WALSH

Leader, Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council

Town Hall,

South Bank.

Cobbler's sign

Sir, - I was able to confirm to Mr Taylor, the cobbler at Norton (D&S Cleveland edition, Sept 15), that a riding-boot was indeed the sign of the "snob", for Darlington had one perched over the door of Grimstone, the clog-maker, whose premises were on the ground-floor of the market building at the south-east corner close to Bull Wynd.

It was wooden and about two and a half feet high, coloured maroon with a black band at the top. It was there up to the 1940s at least, and Darlington library may have a picture of it in the local history section. The family lived in Outram Street and had a daughter Katherine who could still be alive.

Another memorable trade sign was the huge top-hat of the hatters Atkinson on High Row. Does it still exist? Perhaps your readers remember that St Cuthbert's church had its carillon which played hymn tunes at three or six hour intervals. One regular tune was the Old Hundredth, All People that on Earth Do Dwell. There was another tune which I have forgotten. Is the carillon still there and in working order?

DENIS TOWLARD

Lydd Gardens,

Thornaby-on-Tees.