The weather was hot and I wore nothing but shorts and shoes.

As I passed a farmer spraying the crops in a field I was amazed to see him wearing a respirator and full body protection clothing.

I asked myself the question then, and on occasions since, how safe was the pesticide he was using.

I would have said very unsafe, so I was pleased to see that Georgina Downs, an environment campaigner, last week won a major victory in the High Court to force the Government to re-examine its policy on crop spraying and the effects of pesticides on the health of people living in rural areas.

Very often when the farmers were crop spraying during my time in Lincolnshire I would suffer from a sore throat or headaches, but living in Scarborough, where farming is not as intense as in Lincolnshire, I no longer suffer these ailments.

I wonder why?

I feel the remarks made by the vice-president of the National Farmers' Union that new regulations on the use of pesticides would have a detrimental effect on food supplies and cost is born through ignorance.

Surely people's health should be the major consideration when growing food produce.

Chris Walker

Columbus Ravine

Scarborough