Dear Sir,

Last Sunday (September 21), I tried to walk along the Railway Trail from Flatts to Store Hill, but had to turn back because it was impassable.

As has happened so often in the past, cow effluent from the nearby field had washed on to the trail and was several inches deep across the entire width.

I tried again this Sunday and, despite there having been very little rain in the past seven days, it was as bad as ever with what was clearly some “new” effluent. This is not being washed off the field by “excessive rain”, but is just pouring off under gravity.

The offending farmer has been told many times over many years to clean up his act, prevent further contamination and seal his silage vat to prevent the whole area stinking — yet he has done none of these things.

Why is no action being taken against him?

It is unfair, as well as unhealthy, for a private commercial enterprise to be allowed to pollute a public right-of-way. I am sure that if my cesspit were overflowing on to Middle Road, I would very quickly receive a visit from the relevant authorities and, unless I immediately remedied the situation, I would be taken to court. Yet for this farmer, flouting the law for years, no action.

ANDREW R. DOBLE

Smith’s