IT is a crying shame that we shall not see the 15 long-buried megaliths discovered by the National Trust restored to their place in the Avebury stone circle.

The Trust claims that the megaliths will be safer if they are left below the surface of the earth.

The thousands of people a year who enthusiastically visit Avebury could point out that the huge stones haven't done too badly by being on view. Nobody is likely to break them up for building materials now.

If the allegedly prohibitive cost of raising them is the primary reason why the stones are going to remain buried, why not launch a national appeal?