I was surprised and delighted to read your article ‘A world first’: Devon calls victory in 27-year war on termites (21 December). Surprised because I assumed the story had long since disappeared into the mists of history; delighted because it is, as Damian McBride is quoted as saying, a classic illustration of public service at its best.
As the minister responsible for setting up the Termite Eradication Programme in 1998, I can vouch for the sustained commitment of the team of experts, led since 2003 by Ed Suttie, who implemented the very challenging programme of activity necessary to eradicate what could have been a seriously damaging spread of termite infestation across the country.
In my book Substance Not Spin I described the early stages of the eradication programme, including the “nightmare scenario” of the particular species of termite at Saunton developing wings and escaping beyond the area in which at that time they were contained. Had this happened, it would have been almost impossible to halt the spread and consequent damage and cost.
The fact that it has taken more than 20 years to get to a point where there can be confidence that the Saunton termite colony has been eradicated is a measure of just how challenging the process has been. It also provides a warning. The termites at Saunton are thought to have arrived in packing material around a plant imported from southern Europe many years before their presence was spotted. This could very easily happen again. If so, the lessons learned from Saunton will need to be applied quickly and with similar determination if Britain is to remain free of termites.
Nick Raynsford
London
• Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication.
