Richard Lamming, of Larks Close, Shaldon, writes:

Another delightful Teign sunset is in the offing. In a beautiful, crystal clear, blue-pink sky the sun sinks gently to settle on the tors while the river turns to gold. The blackbird begins to serenade us. The tension of the day starts to recede. Just what life in Devon is all about. Perhaps a glass of a chilled local white wine, on the deck, in the company of some good friends; warm enough at last to enjoy a summer's evening...

And then? Another Ringmore valley bonfire suddenly belches into life, spewing its vulgar plumes of disgusting, foul-smelling smoke over large tracts of the village, engulfing dozens of neighbours in its acrid stench and choking fumes. Everything is ruined; everyone inside; windows closed; bitterness.

I am sorry, but who in their right mind burns garden waste on a beautiful summer's evening in a residential area?

Quite apart from being completely the wrong thing to do for sustainability, this is simply the most anti-social behaviour possible: one selfish person subjecting perhaps hundreds of people to poisonous, quite possibly carcinogenic, pollution. It happens almost every evening.

Surely it is time for this to stop? What is the point of banning tobacco smoking in pubs if thoughtless people can still poison their neighbours in this way? It is basically the same offence. Cooking on barbecues and fire-pits is one thing but this is quite different: it is unacceptable behaviour.

I suggest that we need a Teignbridge bylaw, making it illegal to cause pollution by burning garden waste after 6pm, and all day on Sundays.  

I urge our councillors to place it on the agenda. How could anyone argue against it?

Who would claim the right to poison their neighbours and disturb the peace in this way?

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