MADAM, Reading your paper I often feel that in giving

your support to local high street shopping (quite rightly) you give the impression that you feel on-line retailers are 'the enemy'.

I think that this is quite wrong and to properly support local traders the subject needs some discussion.

However much we would all like to be able to buy everything we need in our high street it simply isn't possible and many people therefore buy on-line.

The future of retailing lies in a 'click and collect' model where we can buy on-line and, ideally, collect locally. Many of our local shops would benefit from extending their offer to the wider world of on-line shoppers, thus helping to ensure that their businesses thrive in the current financial climate. It is not hard or expensive for small shops to achieve this.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to see our local high street thriving rather than the depressing sight of so many closed shops?

We already help several local businesses by offering an order fulfillment service from our warehouse in Upton Bishop - a great example of how we can use the power of the internet to support our high street.

Far from being the enemy we can be a good friend.

John Hewitt, Upton Bishop