FELLING trees and stripping the banks of the river was a stupid thing to do this time of year.

Haven't the Environment Agency heard of birds nesting and small animals looking for homes in the spring.

It is not the banks that cause flooding, but the river.

I am over 80 years-old and I have seen the river nearly halved in my lifetime.

This includes banks dropping and islands being created by rubbish floating down and getting struck.

A good site here is where the river and canal divide near the weirs, there is a row of trees that never use to be there near the canal end.

There is also at least nine new islands forming and on the river side is a WHOLE tree washed down and has settled collecting whatever floats down.

That is what should be sorted out first.

The river and canal is home to so many birds and animals and we are supposed to be environmentally friendly but it doesn’t seem like it to me.

Someone needs to educate the Environment Agency as to what ‘friendly’ means. We are a garden town, oh no!

Mrs Patricia Sparks, Taunton