WHEN I read the letter from Graeme Smith, published in the Bury Times (Feb 9), my first reaction was that people have been successfully sued for less! Litigation is not my style, but I would welcome this opportunity to put the record straight.

First, I would like to reassure the parents of the many youngsters attending groups at Bolton Road Methodist Church that their children are not about to be "booted out" if they or their parents do not attend church services on Sundays. During the 15 years or so that I have been associated with Bolton Road, I am not aware of any child who has been excluded for this reason.

We run a number of groups for children and, as far as I am aware, the criteria for attendance are as follows:

1: They are the correct age for the group they wish to attend; 2: There is a vacancy for them. There are legal requirements concerning the number of children accommodated. When groups become full, children may go on to a waiting list.

Otherwise, the only time a child may be asked to leave is if their persistent and extreme bad behaviour is putting at risk the safety or well-being of other youngsters. Responsible parents would not expect us to do otherwise. Maybe this was the reason Mr Smith and his friends were allegedly "booted out".

The church runs pre-school, parent and toddler and junior youth club groups on a weekly basis, together with Rainbows and Brownies. For many years we have run a holiday club for a week in the summer holidays which last year was attended by an average of 70 children a day. Another holiday club is planned this year.

In all of these groups, the vast majority of children attending do not attend Bolton Road Methodist Church (or any other church) on Sundays. A small number of children may also be of other faiths. We are hoping to expand our activities, especially with teenagers, and our minister is working closely with Bury Youth Services to see how that might be achieved.

Unfortunately, Mr Smith's determination to "have a go" at Bolton Road Methodist Church has detracted from the more serious matter of the needless destruction of the hedgerow. I am curious to know why the uprooting of a hedge can be the fault of someone who no longer owns the land the hedge was on.

Our minister is busy enough, so I hope the owners of the new houses will do the logical thing and forward any building complaints to the builders and not the church, who no longer have any influence over what takes place on the land.

ROSAMUND BROWN,

Warlingham Close, Bury.