I WRITE with regard to a letter printed in last week's Harborough Mail.
I couldn't agree more with Rachael Hawkins from Kettering Road.
Harborough Leisure Centre's swimming pool is a disgrace. I have put complaint after complaint in.
I have found dirty nappies on the floor, a pile of faeces, chewing gum, hair, plasters, you name it.
The manager at the time had endless complaints from me, my friends and my family.
He did try to put it right but never did seem to achieve anything.
I even wrote to the council twice and never once had a reply.
I have never been to a public swimming baths as dirty and unhygienic and yet nobody seems to want to take ownership of the problem and do something about it.
The staff members have passed comments on how many complaints they receive.

Joanne Darling,
Barnard Gardens,
Harborough.

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Action must be taken to control the threat of poisonous ragwort

Many supporters have contacted us recently to voice their concerns about ragwort, a weed which is blooming at the moment.
As every horse owner and farmer knows, ragwort contains toxins which can have debilitating or fatal consequences if eaten by horses and other grazing animals.
Ragwort has its place in the countryside; it supports a wide variety of invertebrates and is a major nectar source for many insects, but it must be controlled, especially where there are horses and livestock.
Land stewardship and animal husbandry are both huge responsibilities and I know that they are taken seriously by farmers, but it is important that the dangers posed by ragwort reach the widest possible audience.
There is a growing concern that some public bodies who own land, such as local authorities, are not taking the problem seriously and managing their land appropriately.
There is no excuse. A Code of Practice on how to stop the spread of ragwort is available from DEFRA.
The Countryside Alliance will be writing to all Local Authorities and other bodies in the coming weeks to remind them that they have a duty to control ragwort on their land and must be vigilant, especially where their land abuts farmland.
The threat ragwort poses to animals cannot be underestimated and is something that all landowners, whether public or private, must take seriously.

Simon Hart,
Chief Executive,
Countryside Alliance,
Kennington Road,
London.

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Swinging time to help needy children

I'D LIKE to invite local golfers who are looking to put their swing to good use to join a charity golf day at Kilworth Springs Golf Club in aid of children's charity NCH (National Children's Home) on Friday, September 26.
We're urging all golf fans to mix the serious business of raising money for some of Leicestershire's most vulnerable and disadvantaged young people with the pleasure of a round of golf with friends or business associates. Entry fee for teams of four is £250 to include green fee, lunch and a three-course dinner.
Please phone me on 07867 531032 or email Rebecca.Ash@nch.org.uk.
Rebecca Ash,
fundraising
executive,
NCH.

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Losing my keys opened the way to incredible help from tip workers

AS a keen recycler, I am a regular visitor to Harborough's refuse site.
I have always thought that the staff there do an excellent job, being always happy to help and always with a smile, whatever the weather.
Last Thursday evening though (August 14), the fellas on duty bowled me over by surpassing the call of duty by miles!
On this particular evening, muppet that I am, I managed to throw into the skip not only my plastic bottles for recycling but also my car keys.
Before I could even call for assistance the guys on duty were rushing over to help.
One chap in particular, Bob, was a real hero as he fetched a ladder and a shovel and climbed into the giant skip full of bottles to find my keys.
Anyone who uses the refuse site and has seen the bottle skip will know that this would be an incredible task!
Twenty minutes and a lot of Bob's hard work later, my keys were found.
I am incredibly grateful to Bob, who was amazing and unbelievably selfless, and also to Jim who assisted Bob with the rescue. Thank you so much guys!
Finally, a thank you to all the staff at the refuse site – you do a brilliant job and it IS appreciated.

Naomi Ruth Allen,
Coventry Road,
Harborough.

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Otter family spotted years ago

I am glad to hear the ottters are still being seen in and around the town.
My wife and I saw an adult and cubs/kits playing along the river bank next to Senior Cars almost five years ago!
The family group were making their way along the grassy bank at about 8.30pm as we crossed the bridge on the A6.
It was much better seeing them than eating the ice-cream we had gone to buy from the then Ellwoods garage.
We did report our sighting to The Rutland Wildlife Trust who said they would try to confirm it by looking for droppings.
Perhaps The Mail could do a follow-up with them on the new confirmed sightings.
All we need to do now is clean the river up even more before they decide to move on instead of making Harborough their home!

Paul Windsor,
Stockewll Close,
Harborough.

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Thanks for Joseph's garden award

I am just writing on behalf of our son, Joseph, to say thank you for his prize in the young gardeners' section of the Mail garden awards.
He was very excited to receive the money and plan how to spend it!
Within days he had bought a bird box which can be used for little owls – somewhat ambitiously – but, more realistically, jackdaws.
We are trying to persuade him to spend the remaining £10 on something other than parsnip seeds!
He has been very busy the past few days harvesting potatoes and taking hundreds of caterpillars off all the brassicas! Thank you once again for a lovely evening and prize.

Catherine Ward-Langman,
Morley Street,
Harborough.

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Why are chickens any different when it comes to animal cruelty legislation?

You recently were kind enough to publish the story of my ex-battery hen Flopsy and highlighted the dreadful life these poor girls have. Unfortunately, Flopsy has since died.
I am asking for your help again if at all possible.
I helped out a 'rescue' the other week and experienced first hand the dreadful conditions these poor souls have to suffer, which I will elaborate on if you wish.
Over the weekend there were over 1,700 hens taken from the farm, saved from slaughter and re-homed all around Britain.
This was done in agreement with the farmer so nothing illegal or underhand was done. The farmer even made coffee for us!
One particular hen was in such a dreadful state that she touched the hearts of numerous folks and despite being given the care and attention she so deserved she died two weeks after her release from the cage.
She was curled up in the corner of the cage, in a ball, frightened, and was in a cage of eight birds, when the legal limit should be five.
She was only the size of a pigeon, couldn't stand, long beak, long claws and almost featherless. I have pictures of her.
I know we cannot change the law on battery cages and ban them completely, but surely we could find a way of improving the conditions the girls have to suffer.
If someone kept a dog/cat/rabbit/rat in that condition they would be prosecuted, so what difference for a chicken.

I was hoping that with the help of the media we could highlight even more what really happens in the hellhole they raise chickens in. I see on the news this week, one farm has been prosecuted for ill treatment.

I am not out to cause trouble for any oneparticular farmer as, in a way, they are not doing anything illegal, but we must do something to stop this cruelty.

Rosemary Graves.