COMPASSION in World Farming has filmed miserable images of battery cows crowded together in barren sheds standing in their excrement and never seeing the light of day.

In many cases they are not even provided with straw to lie on.

Diseases, including TB, spread in these unnatural conditions. But as we demand even cheaper dairy products conditions will worsen. Milk yields have increased over the last decade by 20 per cent, one intensive farm claims increases per cow of 80 per cent from 5,000 litres to 9,000 litres per year.

Again we are following the US where three out of four cows never see a pasture.

This in a country which proved that not only does no one need milk but it is in fact harmful. Many whites and most black people cannot digest it and a huge study on tens of thousands of US nurses proved that those consuming milk were more likely to suffer from osteoporosis than those consuming little or none.

While their most popular children's doctor states that children should never be given milk ever!

Those of us who care about animals and hate cruelty now drink one of the delicious and healthy alternatives made from soya, rice or oats hoping that more people will follow suit and wipe out the cruelty of factory farming the gentle cow forever.

J RAWLINGS, Bournemouth.