Professional sports persons receive large sums of money for displaying manufacturers logos on their clothing.

A cheque for at least £100,000 should be on its way to your reporter Shirley Mathias from the providers of private health care, in gratitude for increased business, following the harrowing accounts given by Shirley on conditions in a NHS hospital.

On a more serious note your correspondents, myself included, are growing weary of pointing out to planning authorities that any further large housing developments in and around Swindon will still further destroy the already deteriorating quality of life in a town, the crumbling infrastructure of which, whether exemplified in a hospital overwhelmed by sheer weight of numbers; horribly congested and polluted roads or the unacceptable levels of criminal activity et al.

FRANK AVENELL

Beckhampton Street

Swindon