NEVER mind the first cuckoo of spring, what about 'Roadustus Mechanimus'?

For just a few fleeting moments last week I thought that I had heard the plaintive cry of Roadustus Mechanimus right here in Tavistock, even though I know it to be extinct in the borough of West Devon.

Unfortunately I must have been daydreaming, the loss of this poor creature, common name the 'mechanical road sweeper', from our region, is a source of much sadness and concern. As the only natural predator of the ever increasing 'Litterbugria Gigantica' its demise means that Litterbugria is starting to spread beyond control.

If anyone knows of a breeding couple of Roadustus Mechanimi anywhere in the country, we may well be able to reintroduce these noble creatures back into West Devon, before Litterbugria completely swamps the region.

T Paterson

Tavistock