Letter: Verdict on GM trials

Sir: Until GM plants are sown alongside normal crops, it will be impossible to determine the environmental danger. It seems obvious that in no circumstances should GM crops be planted on the UK mainland but, as in the last war, islands off the mainland could be exploited.

There are numerous islands where winds are unlikely to carry pollen on to the mainland. Normal crops and a suitable mix of insects etc could be transported and planted along with the GM crops. Only when these experiments show that there is no environmental threat should the next stage of controlled planting of GM food be conducted on the mainland.

GM promises much for mankind if we control it properly. That means progressing by experimentation and not by scientific prediction based on theory.

D G HUNT

Tring, Hertfordshire