Sir,

Re. Concession for farmers to hedge 'trim' later (Meyrick Brown, 'Straws'). It is a great pity that the operators of flail cutters are not trained and licensed by the Welsh Government. The horrendous damage caused by the unsympathetic use of these machines is devastating to the whole eco-structure of the hedge-row.

Indeed, I have seen cases where the growth has been deliberately cut back successively, so hard, that the hedge bank has now no hedge on it.

In other cases again 'hard' cutting has left no shelter for the farmer's own animals, daft or what?

As a possible compromise,i nstead of 'flat topping', why not cut vertically at an angle leaving a triangular shape, nice thick base, seven-foot or more height, possible two passes instead of three, shelter for the beasts and a better chance of survival for at least some of God's creatures.

C.W. Johns,