Letter of the day, from reader Noel Wheatley:

How disappointing and depressing that the government has felt the need to introduce another raft of restrictive measures on covid 19, writes Noel Wheatley, at a time when hospitalisations and deaths are so low (and far outweighed by those caused by flu, pneumonia and conditions that should have been treated during lockdown but weren't).

Not only that, we now have mutterings about "covid secure marshalls" and "10 pm curfews" that make us sound like a tin pot police state.

Isn't it about time Parliament had a say in these measures? The government's scientific advisers have either got too much reputational investment in the measures in force or being considered, or are enjoying their moment of celebrity and power far too much.

Noel Wheatley

Thornbury