I READ with interest the recent Echo front page stating that the “A338 will not become three lanes”.

It is interesting that one of the main reasons is the existing legal protection for native reptiles living in the heathland alongside the road.

Richard Colby, the county council’s highway improvements team leader, said: “The verges are also famously home to all species of our native reptiles – two of which are also protected under European law.”

Several years ago at great expense the verges for the whole stretch of this road were separated from the heathland by a small polythene fence in order that a reptile search of this area could be carried out.

This was done in preparation for road improvements, which at a later date, were I believe cancelled.

At the time I wrote a letter to the Echo, which was duly printed, asking if perhaps someone from the county council could give us details of how many reptiles were actually found in this exercise.

Much to my surprise someone from the council responded stating that only one slow-worm had been found during the reptile search for both verges over the full length of this road.

To move that one slow-worm must have cost many thousands of pounds.

Now we are told that once again this exercise will take place, no doubt again at great expense.

I wonder how many they will rescue this time and how much it will cost per reptile?

It’s a crazy world as we seem to spend more on reptiles than we do people.

C D MOYES

Harkwood Drive, Hamworthy, Poole