My thanks to Jeremy Child for informing me that Councillor Marilyn Ashton has written to the shadow transport secretary, protesting about the proposed third runway at Heathrow.

Very altruistic as, although Mr Child has predicted environmental damage to Harrow, it's most unlikely that this borough would be affected at all. Still, when political propaganda is the name of the game, who cares about 100 per cent accuracy? I would be very interested to know the views of the rest of the council on this matter.

Increased traffic at Heathrow is supposed to be particularly detrimental because of global warming - but Councillors Zeid and Akhtar have often told us that there is no such thing. Mr Akhtar has denounced it in the local press as an invention of New Labour. Don't bother looking for the logic in that because there was none.

As regards Mr Ashton's heroic gesture, what does she suggest as an alternative to expanding Heathrow?

The case for expansion has been well set out and not just by the Government. The only 'anti' who has tried to meet the need is, of all people, Boris Johnson. Mr Johnson thinks this could be done by building an island in the Thames estuary and my main objection to this is that it is supposed to be a London airport and the difficulty of transporting passengers to London would surely be greater than bringing them from Stansted or Luton.

Nevertheless, it is a suggestion and a bit better than pious squawking and scaremongering for political purposes.

JOSEPH N'GOIA

Dorchester Avenue West Harrow