AS a number of local fishermen who have paid season tickets for over 40 years and fished in Lochore Meadows for 70 years, we are angry that Fife Council have refused to stock the loch with trout while retaining £8,000 of season ticket money from 2016-17.

Is this to allow canoes from St Andrews to fly up and down the water unrestricted and not distracted by locals trying to fish?

Local disgruntled fishermen.

Fife Council's park manager, Ian Laing, responded: "Due to high operating costs, and a reduction in our budget, a decision was taken in recent years to stop the annual re-stock of rainbow trout in the loch. The operating cost of running the fishing facility far outweighs any revenue generated from permit sales although the loch was re-stocked last year thanks to a one-off investment funded by the Cowdenbeath Area Committee.

"Lots of background work and discussions with customers have since taken place with the view to establishing a fishing club that could govern fishing on the loch longer term but unfortunately establishing this proved problematic.

"Fishing permits are still available as there is still a supply of rainbow trout, brown trout and pike in the loch. To avoid disappointment we made it very clear to everyone purchasing permits for this season that there would not be a re-stock of rainbow trout and we haven't had complaints from those that purchased tickets about the supply."

In reference to the article about the gull attacks ('Councillors tackle town's gull attacks issue', Times September 14), I had an article printed last year when we were being plagued with gulls nesting on my roof. They were there for two years running, screaming from daybreak and fouling our washing. We were unable to sit in the garden due to them swooping down on us.

We used a professional pest control company to deal with the issue and they used the same tactics with dummy eggs and removing eggs, destroying nests. I can tell you the method being advised is a waste of money.

The problem comes from people who are providing a food source for these beasts and in my opinion they are the ones to blame.

When they are throwing food out in the gardens they are attracting even more vermin.

I had, with the help of our local MSP, to have signs put up where I live about the feeding but they were ignored.

I have no issue with people who like to feed wild birds in the garden but they must use proper feeding containers.

My advice to the councillors is they need to get this issue with people feeding them stopped.

These gulls see humans as providing them with food and now for some facts. The great black-backed gull has a wingspan of 1.5-1.7 metres and weights 1.5-1.8kg. These birds are dangerous and fearless of humans

JOHN BAXTER,

Lochgelly.