Mark Harper, a Swindon lad and Forest of Dean MP supports the Government’s Forestry Sell off programme, as if he has not already got his hands full pushing through prisoner voting rights!

His early support was crucial to this political act of forest sell-off at a give away price of £100m – hardly enough to fund the spending of one reasonably sized council for a whole year!

The Tory-led coalition has been hell-bent on selling off forests such as Westonbirt.

Tory MPs have abandoned the principle of public guardianship of the woodland environment in Wiltshire, supporting the Government’s assumption that public ownership of our woodlands is wrong in spite of the truth that all the evidence is to the contrary.

The breaking up of the “Forestry Estate” means more profitable forests will be snapped up.

Privatising forests is political suicide and the Government has “created” the flimsy option to include a transfer to a community interest body. Woodlands that are the least attractive to commercial foresters, for example those that contain large numbers of native trees and inaccessible terrain will be palmed off on to not-for-profit groups.

They will be unable to make a loss, as all such organisations have to balance their books!

It will become a primary objective to break even and create a surplus to reinvest.

This will directly lead to hikes in fees and charges as a drive for private and not for profit commercialisation prevails throughout Wiltshire.

In a generation or so many forests that contain native trees, and a woodland we are familiar with will change into something like the backdrop to the Sound Of Music, as only commercially viable planting will take place.

Do our MPs know or care that we have already paid for this woodland as taxpayers?

In my opinion selling off our woodland for little more than 20 pieces of silver is both a moral crime against the people and our environment.

STEVE WAKEFIELD Middleleaze Drive Swindon