I HAVE farmed on the boundary of Teesside Airport all my life.

Working on my own most of the time, one of the distractions is the abundance of a wide variety of birds and animals that have thrived on the airport and my own land with little disturbance over the past 40 or so years.

What I have witnessed in the past week can only be described as wildlife cleansing.

As part of the first stage of the south side development there has been the total destruction of all habitats as well as some of the history of the airport.

I am not against creating jobs but when you have a vast area of disused runways and link roads already covered in tarmac, could that not be the place to start building, resulting in a small amount of disturbance?

So when it comes to the press day for Ben Houchen’s grand vision and everyone has gathered in their high viz jackets they will see a landscape devoid of any features.

If only the late nesting birds had been given their chance.

John Hutchinson, Middleton One Row.