SIR: With reference to the felling of the trees that provided a much-admired starling roost, I would like to say how different things could have been (Chronicle, January 25).

Suppose the county council had employed one job-seeker, just one would have been sufficient, to wash the cars in the car park, and generally tidy up the mess that the starlings made, everyone would have been happy. One job-seeker doing something really useful and appreciated, however many employees affected with nice clean cars and tidy car park, thousands of starlings able to live their lives, a line of trees still standing to filter the air, and grateful townsfolk applauding the council’s demonstration of caring for the environment.

Instead, enraged townsfolk, no trees, troubled starlings, a large bill for the army of saw-wielding tree fellers, a waste of timber and more polluted air. Come on, HCC, try a little lateral thinking just occasionally. Very disappointed.

Sarah Shawcross,

Sarum Road,

Winchester