IAM afraid that Mrs Eileen Eastham, who reported the presence of the poisonous weed, ragwort (LET, August 11) is, to put it politely, "blowing into the wind."

One plant less will do little for the general situation, except for that particular locality.

Mrs Eastham is correct, in that it will slowly poison animals and can cause problems for humans who touch the plants. However, the pretty yellow flowers you see growing on any waste ground at the present time are probably ragwort.

Yes, it is the landowners' responsibility to eradicate the weed from his land, but the scope of the job is so great that the British 'laissez faire' attitude prevails and little is done unless it is grazing land.

It is said that one year the Chinese decided to eliminate the fly population of their country. So on a particular day everyone killed flies and the operation was a success.

Can you imagine us having a day or a week eliminating ragwort plants? No, neither can I! So nature carries on in her own sweet way.

The odd area is cleansed but not for ever. Indeed, I do believe that one particular county -- Oxfordshire, I think -- is attempting to clean its countryside with a week of intense effort. The spirit of King Canute lives on like a weed called Ragwort!

L WILLAN, Chatburn Close, Great Harwood.