Stick to clapping for the NHS please, releasing sky lanterns will seriously harm animals and the environment

Send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

People have been using sky lanterns in support of the NHS, despite warnings (Getty)

It has been suggested that people should release sky lanterns to show support for the NHS, despite warnings from fire chiefs and animal rights charities. These free-flying devices, which consist of a thin paper shell containing an open flame, pose a serious incendiary risk.

They were responsible for the devastating fire at Krefeld Zoo in Germany during the early hours of New Year’s Day, which killed animals including orangutans and a chimpanzee. They also present a significant hazard to any livestock and wildlife that come in contact with their remains, and may also be mistaken for distress flares resulting in false alarms to the coastguard and other emergency services.

There are far more appropriate ways of celebrating our NHS.

Charles Smith-Jones (Technical adviser, The British Deer Society)
Hampshire

Transparency from the government

I am well-accustomed to politicians spinning anything and everything so that they never admit they did anything wrong. However, in the midst of this crisis, the fact that they are still doing it is really bothering me.

Everyone knows this crisis is like nothing we’ve seen before. Thus everyone knows that our politicians have never had to deal with anything like this. So why can’t they, just for once, admit they’re having trouble; that it’s hard to make choices and difficult to be certain they’re doing the right thing? When the rest of us are having difficulty with things, politicians trying to say they aren’t just seems unrealistic. Don’t they realise that them behaving this way isn’t reassuring? It makes them look like they’re disconnected from reality.

So to our politicians, I say admit you’re struggling. You might be surprised how much more support you’ll get.

Steve Mumby
London SW6

Wearing a lapel pin with the word “care” does at least allow the public to identify social care staff and acknowledge their excellent work (“Matt Hancock ridiculed after announcing badge to support care sector workers”). But let’s not overlook the ruling Tories’ role in tackling Covid-19. They should also have a badge to wear – one with the word “careless”.

Roger Hinds
Surrey

Post office workers and social distancing

The Royal Mail has stated that its workers are “protected” from Covid-19 because it has issued all staff with gloves, sanitisers and face masks – but this is absolutely not true in my home town. 

Social distancing within the sorting office is also not practical. Surely the government should now class post office workers as front line operatives and force Royal Mail to stop putting profits before the safety of the workers.  

Lesley Greenleaf
Address supplied

Legal aid cuts

The swingeing cuts to Legal Aid imposed over the last 10 years have left the most vulnerable voiceless. However, those at the independent bar, especially those working in the criminal field, work tirelessly for poor recompense to uphold the rule of law for all.

Covid-19 has forced the cessation of jury trials leaving advocates with no work and income. The government has denied financial assistance to the bar. If this position continues, many criminal barristers will face bankruptcy. It now can cost over £100,000 to qualify at the bar. This government seems determined to ensure that the law becomes a profession practised by the rich to service the rich. 

James Keeley (Barrister, The 36 Group)
London WC1R

Save the vulnerable

You are driving a bus full of passengers down a steep hill when the brakes fail. Belatedly, you remember the handbrake and you manage to stop the bus. The bus is now blocking a vital supply route. Do you then:

A – Wait for help; B – release the handbrake a little and try to get to the bottom of the hill or C – offload the passengers and then release the handbrake and try to get to the bottom of the hill?

To help you make that decision, “A” is the equivalent of keeping a strict lockdown and waiting for a vaccine. “B” is easing the lockdown and crossing your fingers. “C” is making sure the vulnerable are completely isolated before easing the lockdown.

As someone of a vulnerable age I vote for C.

Jon Hawksley
France