I WAS pleased to see both Michael Eavis and Rebecca Pow finally stepping down from their roles as vice-presidents at Somerset Wildlife Trust after three years of complaints, protests and letters of dismay sent to the trust over their appointments.

The petition calling for them to leave received huge backing, especially considering it had only been running for two weeks. 

It is hard to imagine why the trust would want to have these individuals as ambassadors given their anti-scientific views on wildlife and the inevitable reactions to their unbefitting appointments. 

While respect must be given to Rebecca Pow for stepping down with grace, Eavis couldn’t help but attack yet again. 

He claimed all signatories to the petition, asking him to leave, lived in Kensington and had never seen a badger. 


READ MORE: Michael Eavis and Rebecca Pow step down from Somerset Wildlife Trust roles


Speaking for myself, I do not live in Kensington and I have a family of badgers in my garden. 

Eavis also claimed that ‘[Badgers] are just obliterating the countryside’. 

No, they are not and they never have been.

The countryside is being obliterated by farmers with their mass use of pesticides, culling of native wildlife to protect livestock (some to local extinction including the European wildcat, grey wolf, brown bear, Eurasian lynx and pine marten to name just a few), lack of biosecurity and allowing foxhounds (found to be carriers of bovine tuberculosis), to not only trample across their land, but to drink from cattle troughs and eat infected meat). 

Eavis has no sympathy from me and I would imagine his continued incorrect statements will make him rather more enemies than friends.

TOM FITTON
Kent