It is with dismay that I happened to catch sight of a relatively new TV advertisement fronted by an ex star of the TV series Countdown, and employed for her certain gift with arithmetic manipulation.

Without doubt she has brought much pleasure to a great many people who watched the programme over that particular period of time.

The advertisement I refer to, which has angered and appalled me so much, is for a cosmetic oil which is made from the bodies of red krill, small shrimp like creatures found mostly in the cold waters of the Antarctic ocean.

What is so infuriating is red krill is the staple diet of penguins, many types of whale, dolphins, seals, and many species of fish, and have declined in numbers since the 1970s by 80 per cent and sadly as I write this there are massive factory ships of various nations harvesting this vital source of food that primarily sustains these creatures, thus adding to the problem.

Marine biologists seem to think there is a link between the warming of the southern oceans and the rapid decline of red krill which itself relies upon mostly zooplankton for its own nutrition.

More alarmingly, the market for red krill oil has increased, with more of it being harvested by factory ships, which will reach a point where the creatures that rely upon it will begin to starve.

May I urge readers who are concerned about the welfare of these creatures that we share this beautiful planet with to think really deeply before considering buying this product from the local pharmacist or supermarket shelves?

G A Woodward Nelson Street Swindon