I MUCH admire the vibrant nature of your letters pages and the way week by week under the privilege of a free press (how we take that for granted) various diverse matters often in the form of warnings (or rants) are aired.

Your recent coverage of the industrial process of fracking is a good case in point (I knew nothing about it as a local threat but I do now).

It is funny how matters ebb and flow, often along with national press and TV coverage, but then quite suddenly get switched off, just like the Somerset levels floods.

The sun came out and the media bandwagon (and the VIP visitors for photo opps) moved on.

But the truth was folks we are still trying to clear up, still waiting for insurance and still many sadly living with family or in caravans.

So many other matters have been covered – Gaza, Commonwealth Games and Great War Remembrance.

Just another new outrage and horror – the Government’s policy cull of badgers – has been lost.

Hardly a mention now but the marksmen are still retained and a new more vigorous round of killing is planned.

The massive costs, the horrible cruelty, goes pointlessly on.

Of course I appreciate TB and livestock farmers’ losses, and I am no feeble vegan.

Adam Henson, on BBC’s TV show Countryfile, has done a brilliant job in putting the farmer’s side of the case, but why has the other side of the argument stopped?

Why have the Wildlife Trusts, who even use the badger as a logo, fallen silent and – it looks – subservient to this horrible Government slaughter policy?

(Sorry I think I’m supposed to call it culling, as that sounds so much better in PR terms than lingering death).

I think we have a new rural minister. What about a new policy on vaccination (please)?

Ms Cherry Sullivan The Crest, Court Lane Calvert Tidworth