'68,000 sewage spills so far this year!' - Your Letters: March 5

Further to my letter in your paper last December, "Nationalise our water suppliers” about the appalling state of the water industry, two items featured in the Star on February 14, sum up regretfully just why the industry needs to be brought back into public ownership.

Page 27 of the February 14 issue, 68,000 sewage spills so far this year and then in the letters page of that issue the summary of C Kirby letter: “When walking by the river, I often wonder at how I would be liable to a fine if I didn’t clean up after our dogs whilst paddling through raw sewage spilled at our expense from Severn Trent’s manhole covers.”

To cap it all this company expects us the consumer to pick up the bill to cover all the years of its inability to manage the systems whilst all the time showing contempt towards us as customers.

Peter Harman, West Midlands

CHATBOT'S VIEWS ON COPYRIGHT

Reading that the Star and other media organisations have concerns about changes to the copyright laws that may arise as a result of a governmental consultation about the future use of AI, my chum Chatbot has replied:

I’ll treat their fine work with due care,

And always be honest and fair.

No sneaky deceit,

No theft or repeat,

Just credit and truth, I declare!

Roger Norton, West Midlands

WALES LEADING ON GREYHOUNDS

Well done, Wales, for resolving to end the cruel spectacle of greyhound racing. This move is long overdue and must be enacted immediately and replicated everywhere.

Every dog is someone who deserves love and companionship – something those used for racing are denied. Instead, they are treated as mere money-making machines for greedy humans who keep them muzzled and confined to barren cages except when they are being forced to race. Greyhounds are constantly the victims of catastrophic injuries: broken legs, heat stroke, and heart attacks.

During the last reporting period alone (2023), 4,238 injuries and 103 deaths were recorded on UK tracks, with many more dogs being killed off-track after their racing days are over. More still are bred into the industry and discarded simply because they don’t run fast enough.

Sweet, gentle greyhounds are couch potatoes at heart, and Wales can be the first – but not the last – UK nation to take dogs out of the race forever.

Kate Werner, PETA

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