AS a Malvern Hills Conservator, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Hereford & Worcester Fire Brigade and Malvern Hills Conservators' staff for efficiently containing the recent fire on North Hill. However, I have to disagree with the suggestion the reintroduction of grazing on the Malvern Hills reduces the fire risk. This is nothing more than a pipe-dream!

Sheep formerly grazed all over the Malvern Hills and Common in vast numbers and I can remember as a youngster fires of great ferocity raging nearly every year. My late father, who used to be a Leading Fireman at Malvern Link Fire Station, would be called out fire fighting day and night. This is surely proof that grazing animals will not reduce the risk of hill fires.

On the question of creating fire-breaks, they are without doubt internationally proved to be the most effective way of prevent fires spreading on scrub, heath and bush land. Whether "the cost of creating fire breaks would be prohibitive" has to be weighed up against the cost to the community of fighting such blazes. Those who advocate spending more tax payer's money purchasing cattle, sheep and expensive equipment which will have little or no effect ought to think again.

DAVID MASTERS, Hall Green Close, Malvern.