I must take issue with Tony Sedgwick, whose letter in favour of fracking you published last week.

Fracking may indeed offer the possibility of self-sufficiency in gas, in the short term at least. However, it will do nothing to reduce the nation’s carbon footprint, and it will not lead to cheaper fuel. This much has been admitted by both the government and Cuadrilla, the firm conducting the pilot projects in the UK.

Cuadrilla’s chairman is Lord Browne, who as chairman of BP was (according to Wikipedia) responsible for a “ruthless” programme of cost-cutting that compromised safety, and is arguably the man most responsible for a string of major accidents including the Texas City Refinery explosion in 2005 and the Deepwater Horizon explosion in 2010.

Fracking involves increased heavy traffic with its attendant noise and air pollution, as well as the very real threats of earth tremors and pollution of the water table. Furthermore, it has a damaging effect on property prices which will not be offset by the cash sweeteners being offered to affected communities.

The only people who stand to benefit from the process are companies like Cuadrilla.

Mr Sedgwick may disapprove of the people who are taking the first steps to protest against fracking. That does not negate their arguments, which he would do well to investigate.

Declan McSweeney, Victoria Rd, Devizes.