WHILE it is vital that grieving parents and family members are brought together to express their profound love for their lost babies, I urge organisers of balloon releases to find a kinder, more fitting way of paying tribute to their children.

Swallowed remnants of those balloons have been directly attributed to the death of pets and livestock whose owners are left devastated by the unnecessary suffering of their animals. These gatherings will be every bit as poignant and memorable with the release of bubbles into the air and grieving families can be sure that their actions are not harming others.

Jacqueline Stanhope, Durham