I REALISE that it goes against the trend and it’s somewhat unfashionable to credit the European Union with anything positive, but there are many New Forest residents that have good reason to thank the EU for investing millions of pounds into habitat restoration work.

Apart from all the environmental benefits gained from improving the National Park’s biodiversity, an important feature is that the work has allowed the New Forest to act much more like a sponge, the streams and rivers now burst their banks much more readily, flooding large areas of the New Forest rather than the villages, Brockenhurst being a particularly good example.

A win-win situation that UKIP would never recognise while they are blaming floods on gay marriage.

COUNCILLOR DAVID HARRISON, New Forest Liberal Democrats.