WHILST not wishing to decry the danger from avian flu I think your correspondent is exhibiting an hysterical reaction when he urges householders to stop feeding garden birds.

To quote from RSPB: "There has not been a single incidence of H5N1 among any wild birds in Western Europe and there are no known cases of humans contracting the disease from wild birds."

It would be tragic if our native birds perished this winter through being deprived of a vital food source which they have now come to rely upon.

Hygiene is the important factor in keeping birds healthy.

Remove uneaten food daily and dispose of it in a sensible manner.

Feeders, baths and bird tables should be cleaned weekly by washing them outside in a bucket of warm water to which has been added an iodine based disinfectant (available from pet stores).

Wear gloves reserved for this purpose.

Robins, blackbirds, finches and tits are welcome visitors to my garden and I will continue to feed them with fat balls, peanuts and seed until experts advise otherwise.

E EASTHAM, Milton Close, Darwen.