Sir,

Like many, I was saddened to read Anna Ryder Richardson's account of how her 'dream zoo' has become her 'worst nightmare' and stabbed by the unfairness and irony of it all.

Undertaking some aspects of project management for Anna and her husband, Colin, when they first purchased the site back in 2008, I witnessed at first hand, the neglected animals and the dilapidated buildings that had, just the previous season, been open to the public. I couldn't help but question why Pembrokeshire County Council hadn't seen fit to close the place down: To my mind the place was littered with public health hazards and Pembrokeshire County Council had most certainly failed in any duty of care.

But Anna and Colin's positivity allowed no room for dwelling on the past; mercifully, neglected animals were now cared for, the park was closed and the creation of their vision for the place was set in motion. Manor House had evaded the probability of residential development and the animals had been given a lifeline!

It was with huge disappointment, some months later, that ill-health forced my departure from the project, but I'd been fortunate to witness their investment of life-savings in bringing about the birth of what is now, one of Pembrokeshire's premier tourist attractions and I felt, its future was secure, for many years to come... Or so I'd thought!

A £100,000 fine is a huge burden for any business to bear... let alone one with such astronomical running costs... the weekly animal feed bill alone makes my eyes water! And let's be clear, this pound of flesh is being extracted by Pembrokeshire County Council, for two charges of breaches of Health and Safety... not directly relating to that particular tree that fell onto the young boy Gruff and his mother. That incident was deemed to have been unforeseeable and they have already been properly compensated via Manor House's public liability insurance. It was a terrible, terrible accident, but Manor House Wildlife Park were not to blame.

And so this disproportionate fine threatens to jeopardise all that Anna and Colin have created: the rescue of so many animals, the establishment of a conservation programme that Wales has not seen the like of before, the rescue of a dilapidated Grade II listed building of significant importance to the county's heritage and a tourist attraction and educational resource that brings large numbers to the county.

TV promotion has undoubtedly benefited our hotels, campsites, cafes, restaurants and many of the small businesses that work hard to survive all year round in Pembrokeshire. Anna and Colin have invested their own funds in our county and should be applauded for their hard-work, dedication and vision.

I, for one, will be buying a season ticket for 2013 and I'm hopeful that many across the county will show support in a similar way.

Anna Waters,

Milford Haven