I HAVE to agree wholeheartedly with Adrian Hetherington (HAS, Dec 21). You were tactless, and very thoughtless, in showing the picture of the dead deer in the lake at Spennymoor to children at the very start of their school holidays.

In fact, I would like to take his argument further. In future please protect our children from any articles/pictures on wars, famines, crime or indeed suffering of any kind. They are simply too young to know how tough the world is. Far better we cosset then with stories about cuddly bunnies and fluffy kittens until they are at least 18 years old. That ought to better prepare them for their life ahead.

JD Tucknutt, Stanhope.