I HAVE to wonder if the Tory councillors who have come up with this idea of cutting the Mersey Valley Wardens' budget are a bunch of townies in Gucci's rather than wellies, tinkering with something they despise yet know nothing about.

The warden service looks after land partly made up of revitalized refuse tips and flood plains, within the green belt, which left to its own could do very nicely; but only with all public access barred.

Any public access puts a strain on the wonderful diversity of flora and fauna. It demands good paths, bridges, seats and trees that will not fall down, killing someone.

It requires a ready response to storm damage and the re-occurring acts of vandalism. It has so far taken about 20 years to put right the original mistakes of Greater Manchester Council and the warden service is in its infancy.

Whilst Trafford has a very good wildlife boffin, if it did decide to dump the present warden service, it has no procedures in place to meet the public, to educate or inform.

It has no small multi-skilled workforce who can, with minimum supervision, turn their hands to everything from building barley-straw booms across lakes to welding steel fencing.

At present funding from Trafford to the wardens is not enough and requires grant money to top it up. We cannot assume commensurate grants, if Trafford does go it alone.

I for one do believe the present funding should be left intact and if Trafford seriously wants to makes saving, it finds something else where cuts will be less ecologically destructive.

A Mersey Valley supporter - name and address supplied.