WE are five minutes to midnight on the ecological clock. Global warming is upon us, with a steady rise in the Earth's temperature and 33 per cent more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution.

We are losing species of animals and plants daily world wide. Residential building in the UK in general and Swindon in particular has gone through the roof.

Now is our chance to put a stop to this loss in our personal environment. The Front Garden contains more than 77 species of wildlife of which six are protected.

The water vole, great crested newt and the adder are just three of these important species. The Front Garden is the route of a major deer trail which crosses Croft Road and then the M4 at Croft Wood.

If you care, protest to the newspapers, your MP and Swindon Council's planning department.

Government guidance on new developments is to build on brownfield sites before looking at greenfield areas.

Yes I do live in Wroughton, but I'm just as unhappy about developments in the north and east of Swindon, not to mention the possibility of a bypass for Wootton Bassett.

This isn't about the residents of the Front Garden area. This is about saving your countryside heritage.

JUNE COOK

Victoria Cross Road, Wroughton